Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to Chhattisgarh MLA Kawasi Lakhma With Bar on Entering State

The court said prolonged custody warranted conditional liberty due to the likelihood of protracted trials.

Overview

  • The order restricts him from entering Chhattisgarh except for court hearings, requires passport deposit and disclosure of residence and contact, and forbids influencing witnesses or foreign travel.
  • Permission to attend Assembly proceedings was not granted, with any decision on participation left to the Speaker after charge-sheeting or cognizance.
  • Probes by the Enforcement Directorate and the state EOW/ACB continue, with plans to examine about 865 witnesses in the EOW case and 117 in the ED case.
  • The bench cited Article 21 concerns over indefinite incarceration and clarified that lawful challenges to cognizance orders cannot be treated as delay.
  • Arrested by the ED on January 15, 2025 and by the EOW on April 2, 2025, Lakhma was released from Raipur jail on February 4 as Congress supporters gathered outside.