Liquor Policy: Delhi High Court Reserves Order On Manish Sisodia’s Bail Plea In CBI Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved order on the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the CBI case alleging corruption in implementation of excise policy for 2021-22. 

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma also directed the concerned Superintendent of Jail to ensure VC meetings between Sisodia and his wife between 3-4 PM every alternative day till disposal of the bail plea. The court will also decide Sisodia’s plea seeking interim bail on the ground of illness of his wife.

Justice Sharma said that the virtual meetings will be conducted as per the Jail Rules.

“Arguments heard. Judgment reserved…In the meantime, this court directs the superintendent of jail to ensure VC meetings [of Sisodia] with his wife in every alternative day between 3-4 PM till disposal of the bail application as per Jail Rules,” the court said while reserving the order.

Sisodia 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. He was recently denied bail in the ED case also.

Seeking regular bail, Sisodia in earlier hearings argued that no evidence of money trail has been found from him by CBI in the alleged liquor policy scam case and that the allegations against him are “in the realm of likelihood.”

Opposing Sisodia’s bail plea, the probe agency said that the matter involves a “deep-rooted and multi-layered conspiracy” in which Sisodia, who allegedly has remained non-cooperative and evasive during investigation, is a key link to unearth the modus operandi.

Contending that Sisodia enjoys close nexus with the executive and bureaucrats, CBI said that the AAP leader’s party colleagues holding high ranks “continue to make factually wrong claims” claiming that Sisodia is the victim of a political vendetta and to influence the investigation.

 The AAP leader 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.

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.”

On the other hand, 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 has also claimed 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. Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, according to the agency.