Liquor Policy: Delhi High Court Seeks ED’s Response On Manish Sisodia’s Bail Plea In Money Laundering Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of Enforcement Directorate on the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case connected to implementation of the national capital's excise policy of 2021-22.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued notice on Sisodia’s bail plea and another application seeking interim bail on the ground of illness of his wife.

During the hearing, ED’s counsel Zoheb Hossain submitted that Sisodia is one of the “key conspirators” in the formulation of the excise policy.

However, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan vehemently opposed the submission and insisted that the probe agency be heard only after filing of a response.

As Hossain said that ED will file response to both the bail applications within a week, the court listed the matter for hearing next on May 11.

Sisodia’s bail plea in CBI case will be heard by Justice Sharma today at 12:30 PM.

Sisodia was denied bail in the ED case on April 28. He is currently in judicial custody in the cases registered by the CBI and ED. He was denied bail by the special judge in CBI case on March 31.

Dismissing his bail plea in the money laundering case connected to the alleged excise policy scam, the trial court had said that Sisodia was not only the architect of the conspiracy but also "the brain behind insertion of clauses of 12% profit margin for wholesalers and of enhancement of eligibility criteria for wholesalers from Rs. 100 crores to Rs. 500 crores."

“This court is not inclined to grant bail to the applicant in this case of economic offences having serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large as the evidence collected during investigation speaks volumes of his involvement in commission of the said offence," the court had said.

ED has alleged that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12% to certain private companies. It has said that such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers (GoM).

The agency also alleges that there was a conspiracy which was coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group to give extraordinary profit margin to wholesalers. It was contended that Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 after an interrogation of more than 8 hours. He was named as an accused in the FIR. It is the case of the probe agency that there were alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy for the year 2021-22.

The CBI alleged that Sisodia was arrested as he gave evasive replies and did not cooperate with the investigation despite being confronted with evidence. Chargesheet in the matter was filed on November 25, 2022.

The CBI FIR states that Sisodia and others were instrumental in “recommending and taking decisions” regarding the excise policy 2021-22 “without approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender.”