Delhi Excise Scam: SC Issues Notice to ED, CBI on Bail Plea of Manish Sisodia

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy scam.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Bela M Trivedi, and Ujjal Bhuyan took note of the serious medical condition of Sisodia’s wife.

The bench asked Sisodia to file an interim plea for medical bail, acknowledging the severity of the medical condition mentioned by the petitioner.

“You can file an application for interim bail. Is she in hospital ? It is a progressive disease.. I know about it,” Justice Khanna remarked.

Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, informed the bench that the condition could result in mild paralysis.

However, the bench clarified that it understood the condition to be more serious and directed the other side to file a reply.

The matter was then scheduled for further hearing on July 28, 2023.

Sisodia moved the Apex Court challenging the denial of bail by the Delhi High Court in cases filed against him by the CBI and the ED related to the excise policy scam.

The Delhi High Court had previously rejected Sisodia’s bail plea in the ED case on July 3 and in the CBI case on May 30.

The alleged scam involved collusion among Delhi government officials to grant liquor licenses to specific traders in exchange for bribes. The central agencies claimed that the excise policy was manipulated to benefit certain traders and resulted in kickbacks.

The ED and the CBI initiated investigations based on the recommendation of Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, following a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary alleging statutory violations by Sisodia and the implementation of a policy with significant financial implications. Although Sisodia was initially not named in the CBI’s chargesheet, he was later included as an accused. Sisodia contends that the policy and its modifications were approved by the LG and criticizes the CBI for targeting the policy decisions of an elected government. He maintains that no money has been traced back to him and alleges that the agencies are reassessing a liquor policy formulated by the elected government and approved by the LG of Delhi.