Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia gets a major relief. Arrested in the alleged liquor scam, Manish Sisodia has been granted bail by the Supreme Court. He has been imprisoned in Tihar Jail for 17 months.
The Supreme Court has granted bail in both the CBI and ED cases due to delays in trial proceedings. Presently, Sisodia is confined in Tihar’s Jail No. 1. According to Tihar sources, once the bail order arrives, accompanied by guarantors and the bail bond is filled, the process for his release will commence.
Supreme Court Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan reserved the decision on Sisodia's bail plea on August 6. On Friday, Justice Gavai noted that 17 months of prolonged incarceration and the lack of a trial have deprived him of his right to a fair trial.
During this period, the Supreme Court also observed that given the presence of over 400 witnesses, the trial is unlikely to conclude swiftly.
Bail Conditions
While granting bail, the Supreme Court affirmed that Sisodia is a reputable individual and poses no flight risk. Moreover, most evidence in the case has already been collected, minimizing the possibility of evidence tampering. However, conditions could be imposed to prevent influencing or intimidating witnesses.
The Supreme Court granted Sisodia bail on a bond of 1 million and imposed two significant conditions. First, Sisodia must surrender his passport. Second, he is required to report at the police station every Monday and Thursday.
CBI-ED Appeal Rejected
Following the verdict, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the CBI and ED, requested the court to impose restrictions similar to those in the Arvind Kejriwal case.
ASG Raju sought a prohibition on Sisodia from entering the secretariat, akin to Kejriwal. However, the court rejected this appeal.
Source: aajtak
Incarcerated Since February 26, 2023
In the alleged Delhi liquor scam, Manish Sisodia was arrested on February 26 of last year. On October 9, the ED also arrested Sisodia.
Sisodia was accused of making arbitrary decisions while serving as the Excise Minister. Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora, and Arjun Pandey, accused in the liquor scam, were considered close to Sisodia.
It was alleged that they collected money from liquor businessmen with the help of government officers and diverted it elsewhere. According to the CBI FIR, Arjun Pandey received 2 to 4 crore rupees from liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, a sum collected on behalf of Vijay Nair. Nair had served as the AAP's communication in-charge for some time.
The CBI registered a case on August 17, 2022, involving Sisodia, three former government officers, nine businessmen, and two companies. Allegations of money laundering were also levied, leading to ED involvement. The CBI and ED executed raids and arrests, asserting in their chargesheet that the 2021-22 excise policy allegedly caused a loss of 2,873 crore rupees to the Delhi government.
What is the Alleged Delhi Liquor Scam?
On November 17, 2021, the Kejriwal government implemented the 2021-22 excise policy. Under this new policy, the government withdrew from the liquor business, and private hands took over all the shops.
Claiming that the new liquor policy would end mafia rule and increase government revenue, the Delhi government, however, faced controversies from the beginning. As the uproar grew, the government revoked the policy on July 28, 2022.
The alleged scam was exposed on July 8, 2022, in a report by then Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.
The report implicated Manish Sisodia and several senior AAP leaders in serious allegations. Delhi's LG V.K. Saxena recommended a CBI investigation. Subsequently, the CBI registered a case on August 17, 2022, and allegations of money laundering prompted the ED to also file a case.
Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar's report accused Manish Sisodia of drafting the liquor policy incorrectly. Sisodia, who also managed the excise department, was charged with granting undue favors to licensee liquor businessmen.
It was also alleged that under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic, license fees amounting to 144.36 crore rupees were waived arbitrarily, and 30 crore rupees were refunded to airport zone licensees, which should have been confiscated.
