Law Notify, January 15, 2026 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to former minister Kawasi Lakhma and other accused in the alleged multi-crore liquor scam, while directing that their pleas be heard along with the main matters for detailed consideration at a later stage.
A Bench led by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, passed the order after hearing arguments from both sides. While allowing interim relief, the Court made it clear that the issues raised in the petitions would be examined comprehensively during the final hearing.
Appearing for the State, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani opposed any expedited consideration of the matter, submitting that the investigation is still in progress. He argued that the case concerns large-scale misappropriation of public funds and allegedly involves ministers, political workers, and senior public servants, resulting in significant loss to the public exchequer.
Referring to an affidavit on record, the Chief Justice noted the allegation that the petitioner had received ₹64 crore as commission. Of this amount, around ₹4.6 crore was allegedly used for party-related activities, while nearly ₹10 crore was said to have been spent on personal assets, including residential properties belonging to the petitioner and his son. The Bench also observed that the allegations against certain officials, including Ms Sahu, were described as being of a more serious nature.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the petitioner, submitted that several co-accused are already on bail. He also pointed out that more than 1,100 witnesses have been examined and six charge sheets have been filed, questioning the necessity of continued custody at this stage.
While granting interim bail, the Court underlined the gravity of the allegations, noting that the matter involves alleged wrongdoing at the highest levels. The Bench clarified that the main cases will be taken up for final hearing in due course.
