Chhattisgarh High Court rules on GST bail and liquor scam asset attachment

The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued two significant rulings involving financial investigations. In a GST-related case, the court granted regular bail to Abhishek Pathak, who was arrested on June 1, 2026, in connection with Section 69 of the GST Act. Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha noted that Pathak had no criminal antecedents and had been in custody for nearly three months. The court observed that the conclusion of the trial was likely to take time and ordered his release upon a personal bond of Rs. 1 lakh with one solvent surety.

In a separate matter, the High Court refused to interfere with the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) provisional attachment of Hotel Westin in Goa, valued at ₹110 crore. The attachment is linked to an alleged liquor scam involving the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). The ED alleges that proceeds of crime from the misuse of the CSMCL were used to acquire the hotel. While dismissing the petition, the court clarified it had not made a final adjudication on the allegations, stating such matters must be examined through statutory adjudicatory mechanisms.