Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia is lodged in Tihar Jail in the liquor policy scam. Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on 26 February last year. He has been behind bars for 16 months. His bail plea was heard in the Supreme Court today. But even today the hearing on the bail plea could not be completed. The court fixed next Monday for the hearing. But on the special petition of Sisodia’s advocate, the court agreed to hear the case tomorrow on Tuesday.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for bail on behalf of Manish Sisodia. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has sought bail saying that he has been in custody for 16 months and the case against him has not proceeded since October. On Sisodia’s petition, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the petitions on July 16 and sought a response from the CBI and ED.
Manish Sisodia has also filed an application seeking revival of his bail petitions in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the liquor policy excise policy.
On Monday, August 5, the Supreme Court heard the petition of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia seeking bail in the Delhi liquor policy and money laundering cases. Both the petitions were heard by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan.
During the hearing, Manish Sisodia’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the Enforcement Directorate filed its reply 4 days ago and is saying that the investigation to trace the income from the alleged liquor policy scam and the role of many people is still going on. This is completely contrary to their argument in which it was said that the investigation has been completed. Then what is the point of keeping Manish Sisodia in jail?
Singhvi said that the ED has hidden the documents and put them in the category of non-reliable documents. The review of the sixth to eighth prosecution complaints has not even started. The CBI has also failed to produce non-reliable documents.
Singhvi said that the threat of triple test is looming in the CBI case as well. He said that this can also be kept in mind in section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act – PMLA. He said that bail cannot be denied only on the ground that the charges are serious. Even after two and a half years, no recovery has been made.
Let us tell you that earlier on July 29, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the CBI and ED, had told the division bench that the Central Bureau of Investigation had filed its reply on Manish Sisodia’s petition, but it had not come on record. SV Raju, objecting to Sisodia’s petitions, had said that this is the second special leave petition challenging the same order of the Delhi High Court. He said that the same order cannot be challenged twice.
Manish Sisodia had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 order rejecting his bail plea. He had challenged the lower court’s April 30 order rejecting his bail plea in two cases in the High Court.
During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General cited the Supreme Court’s June 4 order, which had refused to consider Sisodia’s bail plea in the cases registered by the CBI and the ED.
However, the apex court had said that Sisodia can re-file his bail pleas after the ED and CBI file their final prosecution complaints and charge sheets in the cases related to alleged corruption and money laundering.
The arrest was made on 26 February 2023
On February 26, 2023, the CBI arrested Manish Sisodia for his alleged role in the liquor policy case. After this, on March 9, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate-ED arrested Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the CBI FIR. After the arrest, on February 28, 2023, Sisodia resigned from the Delhi Cabinet.
Tags: Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi Government, Manish sisodia, Supreme Court
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 5, 2024, 16:55 IST
