Excise Policy Case: DHC Seeks Response From CBI On Manish Sisodia Bail Plea

The Delhi High Court today has issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in relation to the Delhi excise policy case.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma directed the investigating agency to file its response within 2 weeks.

Sisodia’s counsel Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan stated, “Everyone except me has been granted bail in this case. I am requesting the shortest possible date in the case.” The Court ordered that “Issue notice. Let the reply be filed positively within two weeks. Copy to be given to the other side as well.”

It then posted the case for further consideration on April 20.

Previously, a trial court in Delhi rejected Sisodia’s bail plea on March 31.

Further, In a detailed order, special CBI judge MK Nagpal had prima facie held that the former excise minister played the most important and vital role in the criminal conspiracy related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy case.

Manish Sisodia got arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy case on February 26. Subsequently, he was arrested by the ED on March 9.

Previously, it has been alleged that Sisodia and other AAP members connived to grant certain traders liquor licenses in exchange for bribes. The central agencies’ case is that the excise policy was tweaked and the profit margins were changed to benefit certain traders and kickbacks were received in exchange for the same.

The ED & CBI registered cases in relation to the alleged scam after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary.

The report claimed that Sisodia violated statutory provisions and notified a policy that he had significant financial implications. Although Sisodia was not named in the CBI’s chargesheet, the probe remained open against him and some others.

AAP denied the allegations and maintained that Sisodia is innocent.

Sisodia’s stance that the policy and the changes made in it were approved by the LG and that CBI is now going after the policy decisions of an elected government.

The senior AAP leader has already been denied bail in the CBI case. While rejecting Sisodia’s plea, Judge Nagpal held that he played the most important and vital role in the criminal conspiracy related to the case.