Delhi excise policy case: Manish Sisodia to move SC after High Court rejects his bail plea

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 30, 2023: AAP No 2 and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will now move to Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s rejection of his bail plea, said his legal team.

 

The Delhi HC rejected his bail plea in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case alleging corruption in the implementation of the previous liquor policy in the national capital. The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma denied bail to Sisodia and said that the AAP leader is a powerful person and there is the possibility of him influencing the witnesses. "In view of the discussion made, the allegations are very serious in nature that the excise policy was formed at the instance of the South group with malafide intention to give undue advantage to them. Such an act points towards the misconduct of the applicant who was admittedly a public servant and was holding a very high position," the Delhi HC said.

In the facts and circumstances of the case, this court is of the considered view that the petitioner is not entitled to bail, the judge said. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 and is presently in Judicial custody. His bail plea was rejected by the trial Court on March 31.

The trial Court while dismissing Sisodia’s bail plea said, "The court is not inclined to release him on bail at this stage of investigation of the case as his release may adversely affect the ongoing investigation and will also seriously hamper the progress".

Sisodia was arrested by CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Earlier, the trial court noted that the former Delhi Deputy CM had joined the investigation of this case on two earlier occasions, but he had failed to provide satisfactory answers to most of the questions put to him during his examination and interrogation, thus, failing to legitimately explain the incriminating evidence which allegedly surfaced against him during the investigation.

The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 came into being in November 2021 but was later scrapped following allegations of corruption. It is alleged that the policy favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

It is also alleged that irregularities were committed, including modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the extension of L-1 license without approval etc.

According to CBI, it is alleged that illegal gains on the count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts.

Courtesy: Zee News