Shruti Suman
In a legal twist, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia will remain behind bars for an extended six months, as the Supreme Court upheld his detention in the Delhi liquor policy case. The court flagged a significant development: a potential money trail of ₹338 crore in the case and mandated a trial timeline of 6-8 months.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice SVN Bhatti, the two judges presiding over the case, issued a noteworthy provision: Manish Sisodia could reapply for bail in three months if the legal proceedings progressed sluggishly.
Justice Khanna articulated, “Our analysis has touched upon the arguments and legal questions, yet many remain unaddressed. Within our scrutiny, certain elements cast doubt on the provisional confirmation of the ₹338 crore transfer. Consequently, bail has been denied.”
The Supreme Court had previously emphasized that Manish Sisodia should not be held in custody indefinitely and urged the commencement of legal proceedings once the chargesheet was filed.
Curiously, the AAP has remained mum on this recent setback in the Supreme Court, leaving many speculating on their response.
However, BJP Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari has been quick to react, suggesting that the Supreme Court’s denial of bail to Mr. Sisodia implies the involvement of the AAP leadership in corruption. He boldly declared, “It appears that high-ranking AAP leaders may soon face arrest, and even Arvind Kejriwal could be apprehended, as the AAP’s upper echelon seems embroiled in corruption.”
Manish Sisodia, a trusted aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was apprehended on February 26 in connection with an alleged liquor scandal and has been in confinement since. The Enforcement Directorate also nabbed him on March 9 in a money laundering case linked to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s FIR, following his interrogation in Tihar Jail.
Mr. Sisodia finds himself entangled in two legal cases—one brought forth by the CBI and the other by the ED. He steadfastly denies any wrongdoing.
According to the CBI, liquor companies played a role in shaping an excise policy that has since been discarded, one that would have secured them a 12% profit. The so-called “South Group,” a liquor industry association, allegedly made illicit payments, a portion of which found its way into the hands of public servants.
The Enforcement Directorate, on the other hand, alleges the laundering of these covert payments.
The High Court had previously refused Mr. Sisodia bail in the CBI case on May 30, citing his high-profile status and potential to tamper with witnesses. On July 3, bail was also denied in the money laundering case.
The AAP had once decried Mr. Sisodia’s arrest as an “assault on the Delhi model of governance.”
The former Deputy Chief Minister tendered his resignation from the cabinet on February 28, during which he oversaw a staggering 18 portfolios, including the Excise Department.
