On May 2, 2025, the Supreme Court witnessed a sharp exchange between Justice Abhay S. Oka and Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani during a hearing related to the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The case involves petitions seeking the quashing of FIRs connected to a multi-crore liquor scam in the state.

During the proceedings, Jethmalani, representing the state of Chhattisgarh, urged the court to vacate interim protections granted to certain accused individuals, arguing that custodial interrogation was necessary. Justice Oka questioned the urgency, noting that the main matter was pending and the accused had been cooperating with the investigation. The exchange intensified when Jethmalani asserted that the court lacked the authority to grant such relief, prompting Justice Oka to respond, “Are we powerless to grant the relief?” The disagreement led the bench to recuse itself from the case and directed the state to approach the Chief Justice for reassignment to another bench.

This incident is part of a broader legal battle over the alleged ₹2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, which involves accusations of money laundering and corruption against high-level state officials and private individuals. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the case, which has seen multiple chargesheets filed and several accused granted bail.

The Supreme Court has previously expressed concern over the prolonged detention of accused individuals in this case, emphasizing that the investigative process should not become a form of punishment.

Sources