In a significant legal development, Manish Sisodia, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will remain in jail for an additional six months as the Supreme Court of India has denied him bail in the Delhi liquor policy case. This decision comes as the court noted the tentative establishment of a money trail amounting to ₹338 crore in the case and ordered that the trial be concluded within the next 6-8 months. However, it was also stated that Mr. Sisodia can reapply for bail after three months if the trial proceeds at a slow pace.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice SVN Bhatti, constituting a two-judge bench, were responsible for this decision, highlighting the doubts regarding the ₹338 crore transfer in their analysis. Consequently, they rejected Mr. Sisodia’s bail plea.
Previously, the Supreme Court had expressed that Manish Sisodia should not be kept in jail for an indefinite period, and the commencement of arguments must take place once the chargesheet is filed.
The Aam Aadmi Party has not yet issued a comment regarding this setback in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, BJP Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari has interpreted the Supreme Court’s denial of bail as evidence of corruption within the AAP leadership. He predicts that other senior AAP leaders may also face arrest in the future, including Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Manish Sisodia, a close aide to Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested in connection with an alleged liquor scam on February 26 and has been in jail since. The Enforcement Directorate had also arrested him in a money laundering case related to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail. He is currently facing two cases, one from the CBI and the other from the ED, although he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The CBI alleges that liquor companies played a role in formulating an excise policy, which has since been scrapped, with the promise of a 12% profit. A liquor lobby referred to as the “South Group” was accused of paying kickbacks, some of which were allegedly routed to public servants. The Enforcement Directorate has focused on the laundering of these kickbacks.
Manish Sisodia’s bail requests were previously denied by the High Court, citing his high-profile status and the potential to influence witnesses in the CBI case on May 30, as well as in the money laundering case on July 3.
The AAP had earlier characterized Mr. Sisodia’s arrest as an attack on the Delhi model of governance. He resigned from his position as Deputy Chief Minister on February 28, at which time he was overseeing 18 portfolios, including the Excise Department.
