Liquor Policy Case: Manish Sisodia Moves Delhi High Court Seeking Bail In CBI Case, Hearing Tomorrow

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the case alleging corruption in implementation of excise policy for the year 2021-22 registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The matter will be heard tomorrow by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma. 

Sisodia was denied bail by Rouse Avenue Courts on March 31. He is currently under judicial custody in the cases registered by the CBI and ED. His bail plea in the money laundering case is pending before the trial court.

While denying him bail in the CBI case, the trial court had observed that Sisodia can prima facie be held to be architect of the criminal conspiracy. It was also observed that the payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs. 90-100 crores was meant for him and his other colleagues in the Delhi government.

The court had also said that it was not inclined to release Sisodia on bail as his release may adversely affect the ongoing investigation and will also seriously hamper the progress.

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.