Politics: Supreme Court rejects bail plea, Manish Sisodia did not get relief in corruption-related case!

PC: dnaindia

In a blow to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the Supreme Court on Monday rejected his regular bail plea in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam and said the transfer of Rs 338 crore in the case will be temporarily postponed. 

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said it has recorded the statements of the investigating agencies that the trial in these cases will be concluded in six to eight months.

But if the trial proceeds in a "lax manner", Sisodia will be free to apply for bail in these cases in three months, the bench said.

Justice Khanna, while delivering the judgment, said, "In the analysis, there are certain aspects which we have found suspicious. But one aspect regarding the transfer of funds of Rs 338 crore has been provisionally established. Therefore, we have rejected the application for bail. Have given."

"We have made a clear comment that he has said that the trial will be over in six to eight months. So within three months, if the trial proceeds carelessly or at a slow pace, he is entitled to file an application for bail."

PC: NDTV

The bench said that the judgment has mentioned the arguments and some legal questions which arose but which were not answered. Justice Khanna said, "Most of them have not been answered and if they have been answered, they have been answered in a very limited manner."

The apex court delivered its verdict on two separate regular bail pleas of Sisodia filed in corruption and money laundering cases related to the now defunct Delhi Excise policy. It had reserved its decision on both the petitions on October 17.

Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 for his alleged role in the "scam". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader has been in custody since then.

The ED arrested Sisodia on March 9 in a money-laundering case related to the CBI FIR after questioning him in Tihar jail. Sisodia had resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on 28 February.

PC: The Times of India

The high court had on May 30 refused to grant him bail in the CBI case, saying that being the Deputy Chief Minister and Excise Minister, he was a "high-profile" person with the ability to influence witnesses.

On July 3, the High Court refused to grant him bail in a money-laundering case involving alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, saying the charges against him were "very serious in nature".

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but canceled it in late September 2022 amid corruption allegations. According to the investigating agencies, under the new policy, the profit margin of wholesalers has been increased from 5 percent to 12 percent.

The agencies have alleged that the new policy resulted in cartelization and monetary benefits being given to those ineligible for liquor licenses. However, the Delhi government and Sisodia have denied any wrongdoing and said the new policy will increase Delhi's revenue share.