New Delhi: The Supreme Court has deferred the bail hearing of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, who is implicated in an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor scam. The next hearing is scheduled for August 12. This decision extends Sisodia’s legal troubles, following previous rejections of his bail pleas by both the lower court and the High Court.
Sisodia’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, requested interim bail until the court reaches a decision on regular bail, citing the poor health of Sisodia’s wife. However, ASG SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), contended that Sisodia’s petition is not maintainable and should be addressed in the trial court. The ED claims to have digital evidence of Sisodia demanding a bribe for the Goa elections.
Singhvi accused the investigating agency of deliberately delaying the trial. He highlighted that over 90 percent of his applications have been accepted, but initial delays in providing documents have prolonged the case. Singhvi also pointed out that the ED, in its counter-affidavit, admitted that the investigation is ongoing, with 162 witnesses and 25,000 pages of documents submitted last October, and 40 people charged in July.
In defense of Sisodia, Singhvi argued that the CBI presented 294 witnesses and 31,000 pages of documents, alleging that the agency had concealed documents. He reiterated the request for interim bail due to Sisodia’s wife’s health condition.
ASG Raju, on the other hand, stated that the purpose of the excise tax was to generate revenue and accused Sisodia of appointing an expert committee headed by Rajiv Dhawan to manipulate policies for personal gain. Raju alleged that Sisodia, along with Vijay Nair, AAP’s media advisor, conspired with liquor traders to demand a Rs 100 crore bribe for the Goa elections. The ED claims to have uncovered Rs 45 crore and possesses digital evidence to support these allegations.
Raju further argued that Sisodia’s actions, including raising the wholesaler license fee and increasing the distributor’s commission, were conducted without proper discussion. He claimed that the policy changes were executed secretly and involved a deep conspiracy, evidenced by WhatsApp chats and other documents.
Addressing the court, Raju mentioned that Sisodia managed 18 departments and questioned the timing of the health concerns cited by his lawyers. He emphasized that the chargesheet against the AAP party had been taken cognizance of by the court, and under Section 45 of the PMLA, bail is not warranted.
The ASG asserted that Sisodia’s influence could lead to tampering with evidence. He argued that while the investigation against Sisodia has been completed, other materials are still being collected. The delay in trial initiation, he claimed, is due to repeated applications for file inspection by Sisodia’s legal team, which are not acted upon promptly.
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