Overview

• The Supreme Court granted bail to Anwar Dhebar, accused in the Rs 2,161 crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam, after nine months in custody.
• A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan clarified that there is no rule mandating one year of detention before granting bail in money laundering cases.
• The Court highlighted the improbability of a timely trial due to 40 witnesses in the money laundering case and 450 in the predicate offence.
• The Enforcement Directorate's argument that Dhebar's political influence could obstruct the trial was rejected by the Court.
• Dhebar's release was ordered within a week under stringent conditions, including surrendering his passport and adhering to trial obligations.