The Delhi High Court in the case Manish Sisodia v. CBI observed and has issued notice in a bail plea moved by Aam Aadmi Party, AAP leader and the former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the case wherein it is alleged that the corruption in implementation of excise policy for the year 2021-2022.
The bench headed by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma in the case observed and seek a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI.
In the present case, the Rouse Avenue Courts on March 31 denied the bail plea of Sisodia. Currently, Sisodia is under judicial custody in the cases registered by the Ed and CBI. Thus, the bail plea of Sisodia in the money laundering case is pending before the trail court.
The court stated that this court was not inclined to release Sisodia on bail as the release of him may adversely affect the ongoing investigation and will also seriously hamper the progress.
On February 25, the CBI arrested the AAP leader after an interrogation of more than 8 hours. Sisodia was named as an accused in the FIR and it being the case of the probe agency that there were alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy for the year 2021-2022.
Further, it has also been alleged by the CBI that Sisodia and others were instrumental in taking and recommending the decisions with regards to the excise policy 2021-2022 and the same being without the approval of competent authority with an intention in order to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender.
Adding to it, it has also been alleged by the ED befor ethe court that the excise policy was implemented which being the part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12% to certain private companies. Therefore, the court stated that such a stipulation was not being mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers, GoM.
Therefore, the agency also claimed that there being a conspiracy which was coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group for giving of the extraordinary profit margin to wholesalers. In the said case, Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, as per the agency.
Accordingly, the court listed the matter to be next heard on April 20, 2023.
The counsel, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur appeared for Sisodia.
SPP Anupam Srivastava represented the CBI.
