On October 30, the Supreme Court rejected the bail request of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is facing money laundering charges in a case related to alleged scam in Delhi Excise Policy.
Sisodia has been in custody since his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti presided over the bail pleas. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who headed the bench, pointed to the potential transfer of ₹338 crore as a factor in rejecting bail. Earlier, the court had inquired about the alleged bribe related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, expressing that if it is not linked to the primary offence, establishing a money laundering case against Sisodia would be difficult.
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Justices instructed that the trial in the case must be completed within a timeframe of six to eight months. The Supreme Court further mentioned that if the trial proceeds at a slow pace, Mr. Sisodia, represented by senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, could file a bail application.
The court's decision is based on the prosecution's commitment to concluding the trial within a span of 6-8 months. Notably, the Supreme Court has chosen not to delve into the legal intricacies of the case at this point.
The CBI alleged that the Delhi government's 2021-22 excise policy favoured certain liquor traders who paid bribes. The AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal denied the accusation, and the policy was later scrapped.
The CBI initiated the investigation based on a report from the former Delhi chief secretary, which recommended CBI's involvement. The agency even searched Sisodia's bank lockers in August of the previous year, but Sisodia claimed no incriminating evidence was found in his bank locker.
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