Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: In a major development in the Jharkhand liquor scam case, the Jharkhand High Court has rejected the bail plea of Chhattisgarh-based liquor businessman Naveen Kedia, refusing to grant him relief in the corruption case under investigation by the ACB.
Court Cites Non-Surrender as Key Reason
While hearing the bail application, Justice S.K. Dwivedi observed that the petitioner had not surrendered before the investigating agency, making his bail plea untenable. The court noted that since Naveen Kedia failed to comply with legal requirements, his request for bail could not be considered, and the application was accordingly dismissed. The order was pronounced after earlier reserving judgment following arguments from both sides.
Arrest From Goa and Lookout Notice Issued
The Anti-Corruption Bureau is probing the liquor scam under the Prevention of Corruption Act. After Naveen Kedia went absconding, a lookout notice was issued against him through the CBI, alerting all airports to prevent his escape from the country. He was eventually arrested by the ACB in Goa on January 8 while at a spa centre.
Transit Bail Violated
Following his arrest, Kedia was produced before a Goa court, which granted him four days of transit bail and directed him to appear before the ACB investigators in Ranchi by the evening of January 12. However, he failed to comply with the court’s direction and did not present himself before the agency, a lapse that weighed heavily against him during the High Court hearing.
