NEW DELHI, Feb 22 (Reuters) – A Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA) The India executive, who has been in jail since November over a probe into alleged liquor policy violations, on Wednesday sought bail during a hearing in New Delhi’s top city court.
Benoy Babu, head of international brands for Pernod India, was arrested on 11 November as India’s federal financial crimes agency, the Enforcement Directorate, seeks action against retailers, politicians and individual businessmen in the implementation of the 2021 New Delhi Liquor Policy. Sees related irregularities.
In January, both Pernod Ricard India and Babu were formally named as accused parties in the case, according to court documents. The company and Babu have denied any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday, Babu’s lawyer Mukul Rohatgi asked a Delhi High Court judge to grant bail to the executive, saying he had done nothing wrong and was cooperating with investigators.
The ED’s counsel opposed the move in the court and the judge said he would hear the matter next on March 16.
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Babu had earlier argued before a lower court in Delhi that the arrest was illegal and that he was falsely implicated, but the court last week denied him bail, saying the allegations were “quite serious”.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Pernod Ricard violated the 2021 New Delhi liquor policy by financially supporting retailers who over-stocked the French company’s brands and boosted their market share, Reuters reported in January. Did.
It also accused Pernod of illegally profiting $23 million in India by providing false price information and conspiring in an email campaign to influence New Delhi city liquor policy.
Pernod Ricard India has said that it was relying on the judicial process to demonstrate its legal compliance and that the allegations made by the agency were factually incorrect.
Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Edmund Kalman
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