New Delhi:

A Delhi court on Thursday extended till July 6 the judicial custody of AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the alleged excise policy scam being probed by the CBI.

Recently, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to him in the case.

A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had said that the applicant failed to pass the triple test for grant of bail in the corruption case and the twin conditions required under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

However, the high court had clarified that Manish Sisodia could continue to meet his ailing wife every week on the same terms as set earlier by the trial court.

In March this year, the Supreme Court also dismissed the curative petitions filed by the senior AAP leader challenging the dismissal of review pleas against its 2023 verdict, denying him bail in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam in the national capital.

In its judgement delivered on October 30, 2023, the top court denied bail to Manish Sisodia but said that if the trial proceeds slowly in the next three months, he may apply for bail afresh.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, of Rouse Avenue Court, had, on April 30, refused to grant bail to Manish Sisodia who was seeking regular bail a second time.

During the trial court’s decision to deny bail, it was noted that delays in the case proceedings were largely due to actions attributable to Manish Sisodia himself, dismissing his claims of undue delay.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia will remain in jail for six more months as the Supreme Court today refused him bail in the Delhi liquor policy case. A money trail of Rs 338 crore has been tentatively established in the case, the court noted and ordered that the trial be completed in 6-8 months.

Mr Sisodia can apply for bail again after three months if the trial proceeds slowly, said a two-judge bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti.

“We have referred to the arguments and some of the legal questions but we have not answered most of them. In the analysis, there are certain aspects which are doubtful regarding the transfer of Rs 338 crore transfer is tentatively established. We have rejected the bail,” said Justice Khanna.

The Supreme Court had earlier said Manish Sisodia cannot be kept in jail for an indefinite period and arguments must commence once chargesheet is filed.

The AAP is yet to comment on this latest setback in the Supreme Court.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the Supreme Court denying bail to Mr Sisodia makes it clear that the AAP leadership is involved in corruption. “Top AAP leaders will be arrested soon. Arvind Kejriwal will certainly be arrested because the AAP leadership is entirely involved in corruption,” said Mr Tiwari.

Mr Sisodia, top aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested in connection with the alleged liquor scam on February 26 and has been in jail since. The Enforcement Directorate too had arrested him in a money laundering case linked to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

He now faces two cases – one each by the CBI and ED. Mr Sisodia has denied any wrongdoing.

The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in framing the now-scrapped excise policy, which would have brought them a 12 per cent profit. A liquor lobby it dubbed the “South Group” had paid kickbacks, part of which was routed to public servants.

The Enforcement Directorate alleged the laundering of the kickbacks.

The High Court had denied bail to Mr Sisodia in the CBI case on May 30, saying he is a “high-profile” person who has the potential to influence witnesses. On July 3, it declined bail in the money laundering case.

The AAP had earlier said Mr Sisodia’s arrest was an “attack on the Delhi model of governance”.

The former Deputy Chief Minister resigned from the cabinet on February 28. He was handling 18 portfolios at the time, including the Excise Department.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court told the CBI and ED on Monday they cannot keep former deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in jail for an “indefinite period” in the Delhi excise policy cases.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the two probe agencies, when will the arguments on charges against Sisodia commence in the trial court.

“You cannot keep him behind (bars) for an indefinite period. You cannot keep him behind like this. Once a chargesheet is filed in a case, arguments on charge should commence immediately,” the bench told Raju.

CV Raju told the bench the cases against Mr Sisodia are at the stage of section 207 of CrPC (supply of documents to the accused) and after that the arguments on charge will commence.

“Why have the arguments on charge not yet commenced and when will they commence? Tell us by tomorrow (Tuesday),” Justice Khanna told Raju.

The top court was hearing the bail pleas of Sisodia, who was arrested in the excise policy cases being probed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

During the hour-long hearing, Raju said if a person of the rank of deputy chief minister and holding 18 portfolios, including that of the excise department, accepts bribe then a proper example needs to be set.

“Just have a look at the role of this person. The consumers have been deprived of their money due to the policy changes. There are WhatsApp chats and other communications to show conspiracy of money laundering,” Raju said while summarising his arguments on why Sisodia should not be granted bail.

Mr Raju claimed there was sufficient material to show the offence of money laundering and to buttress the allegation of Sisodia having tampered with evidence by destroying his mobile phones, grounds that are sufficient for denial of bail.

“There was also an instance of arm-twisting where a wholesaler was forced to give up his licence while a firm was given the licence despite not qualifying the criteria,” he said.

Mr Raju referred to the statement of Delhi businessman Dinesh Arora, an accused-turned-approver, and claimed he had told the probe agencies about the bribes Sisodia took.

“He (Arora) has stated in his statement why he had not mentioned earlier about the role of Mr Sisodia and has said that he was afraid that he will be harmed,” the ASG said.

The bench asked whether prior approval has been taken to prosecute Mr Sisodia under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to which Raju replied in the affirmative.

Section 17A stipulates a mandatory requirement for a police officer to seek prior approval from the competent authority for conducting any enquiry or inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act).

Raju alleged the new excise policy encouraged cartelisation and was designed in such a manner that consumers ended up paying more.

The hearing remained inconclusive and will continue on Tuesday.

On October 5, the top court had posed a volley of questions to the CBI and the ED about the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’ and asked the anti-money laundering agency how a case was made out against Sisodia.

The top court had said merely because some lobby or pressure groups had sought a certain policy change does not imply there was corruption or commission of crime unless an element of bribery was involved.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the ‘scam’. He has been in custody since then.

The ED arrested him in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28.

The high court had denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a “high-profile” person who has the potential to influence the witnesses.

On July 3, the high court had declined him bail in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government’s excise policy, holding that the charges against him are “very serious in nature”.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:
The Supreme Court heard two separate bail requests of former Delhi Deputy Chief and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case being probed by the CBI, and a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate.

Here’s a 5-point cheatsheet to this big story

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate today in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is the third AAP leader to be arrested by a central agency.

Before him, Manish Sisodia was arrested earlier this year and Satyendar Jain was arrested last year.

In April, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also questioned for nearly nine hours by the CBI in the liquor policy case. He was questioned as a witness in the case which investogators said involved corruption in framing the policy to benefit a liquor lobby. He hasn’t been summoned for further questioning since then.

Earlier in the day, the Enforcement Directorate raided Mr Singh’s home. The ED had earlier questioned members of the staff and those linked to the 51-year-old Rajya Sabha MP.

Coming out in support of his party MP,  Arvind Kejriwal said that nothing will be found at his residence, adding that all agencies like the Enforcement Directorate or ED and CBI will get active as the 2024 elections are coming.

Manish Sisodia

The CBI on February 26 arrested Manish Sisodia, then the deputy chief minister of Delhi, for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. He has been in custody since then.

Soon after, on February 28, he resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28.

Mr Sisodia held the excise portfolio among the many that he handled as the deputy chief minister.

The ED arrested him in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

According to the federal investigative agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

Satyendar Jain

Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain was arrested in May last year in a money laundering case.

The ED had arrested the AAP leader on the charge of laundering money through four companies allegedly linked to him.

The case is based on a CBI complaint registered on the allegation that Satyendar Jain had acquired movable properties in the name of various persons from February 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017, which he could not satisfactorily account for.

Mr Jain is currently out on bail on medical grounds. The Supreme Court on Monday extended further interim bail granted to him till October 8.

The 59-year-old had a spinal surgery on July 21.

The Supreme Court while granting interim bail to Mr Jain on May 26, had said a citizen has a right to receive treatment of his choice.

The top court had also given Mr Jain to choose any hospital of his choice for his medical treatment.

New Delhi:

If Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) benefited from Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy, why is it not an accused in the money laundering case relating to alleged irregularities, the Supreme Court asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today.

The bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice SV Bhatti was hearing a request for bail by Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister who was arrested in February in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy.

“As far as PMLA is concerned, your whole case is that the benefits went to a political party. That political party is still not made an accused or Impleaded. How do you answer that? The political party is the beneficiary according to you,” the bench asked. 

The Supreme Court also asked if a cabinet note can be examined in a court of law. “I believe there are specific Constitution bench judgments barring us from examining cabinet notes. I do not know if it applies to Delhi, because it is a Union Territory. Though they have not raised it. Like the issue of how we cannot get into what is said in Parliament, now that has been referred to a larger bench,” Justice Khanna said.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represented ED, will respond to both queries tomorrow.

Pressing for a bail order for Mr Sisiodia, his counsel Abhishek Singhvi listed how accused in the case have turned approvers and have been granted bail, but Mr Sisodia has been denied relief.

The 51-year-old AAP leader, effectively Number 2 in the party after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has denied any wrongdoing and alleged that the central agencies had cooked up a case for BJP’s political goals.

The case against Mr Sisodia is centred around a liquor policy introduced by the Arvind Kejriwal government in November 2021. Under the policy, the government withdrew from retail sale of liquor and allowed private licensees to run stores. A government report later flagged alleged irregularities and “undue benefits” to liquor licencees. The case is being investigated by the CBI and the ED.