SC grants bail to Anwar Dhebar in Rs 2,161 crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam case

The Supreme Court has granted bail to Anwar Dhebar, brother of former Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Rs 2,161 crore Chhattisgarh liquor scam.

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The apex court underscored that continued incarceration of an undertrial, in the absence of any substantial progress in the trial, is not legally sustainable.

A Bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Monday observed that the maximum punishment prescribed for the offence is seven years, and that there is no likelihood of the trial commencing in the near future.

"Seven years is the maximum punishment. Senthil Balaji will apply. Will the trial be over within seven years? It's next to impossible," the Bench remarked, while referencing the Supreme Court's recent decision in Senthil Balaji's case.

The Court underscored that continued incarceration of an undertrial, in the absence of any substantial progress in the trial, is not legally sustainable.

It further noted that the ongoing investigation and the voluminous list of witnesses 40 in the money laundering case and 450 in the predicate offence render timely trial completion improbable.