New Delhi: A bench of the Supreme Court Monday denied bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader and liquor-scam accused Manish Sisodia, observing that a money trail of Rs 338 crores had been “tentatively established”.
The former Delhi deputy chief minister is facing charges of money-laundering and corruption in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for the national capital. The policy had been introduced in 2021.
Since February this year, Sisodia has been in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the alleged corruption, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating irregularities in subsequent money transfers.
A bench of Justices Sanjeev Khanna and S.V.N. Bhatti, hearing Sisodia’s plea against the Delhi Court’s rejection of his bail petition, reportedly said Monday, “Legal questions have been answered in a limited way. In the analysis, there are certain aspects, which we said are doubtful. But one aspect, with regard to transfer of money, Rs 338 crores, is tentatively established.”
While dismissing the bail plea, the SC judges made the observation that probe agencies had assured the investigation would be completed within six to eight months. “So within three months, if the trial proceeds sloppily or slowly, he (Sisodia) will be entitled to file an application for bail.”
On 30 May, the Delhi High Court – hearing the CBI case — said Sisodia was a “high-profile person” who could influence witnesses since he was the deputy chief minister and excise minister when the alleged scam took place.
On 3 July, it rejected bail in ED’s money-laundering case, saying the charges against Sisodia were “very serious in nature”.
According to investigating agencies, the policy — which had been implemented on 17 November, 2021, but scrapped a year later amid allegations of corruption — increased the profit margins of wholesalers from 5 percent to 12 percent.
The agencies have alleged the policy resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits.
The Delhi government and Sisodia have denied any wrongdoing and said the new policy would have led to an increase in Delhi’s revenue share.
With input from agencies.
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