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Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 last year and then by the ED on March 9 in the liquor policy case.
Today (August 5) the Supreme Court will hear two bail petitions related to the bail of AAP leader Manish Sisodia. One petition is in the corruption case being investigated by the CBI. The other is in the money laundering case being investigated by the ED. Both the petitions are related to bail in the liquor policy case.
In the last hearing (29 July), ED had sought time to file its counter affidavit. After this, the bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Vishwanathan postponed the hearing till August 5.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the ED, had objected to Sisodia’s petitions. He had said that the Supreme Court’s June 4 order gave Sisodia the right to file a new bail petition only in the trial court, not in the Supreme Court.
The CBI arrested Sisodia on 26 February 2023 in a corruption case related to the liquor policy case. After this, he resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on 28 February. At the same time, the ED arrested him on 9 March in a money laundering case. Manish has been lodged in Tihar Jail since then.
Manish Sisodia has been in custody for 16 months
Sisodia has said in his petition that there has been no progress in the case against him since October, 2023, hence the earlier petition seeking bail should be reconsidered.
Earlier on July 11, just before the hearing on Manish Sisodia’s bail review petition in the Supreme Court, Justice Sanjay Kumar recused himself from the bench, after which the hearing was postponed. Manish Sisodia’s bail petitions have been rejected several times in the trial court, High Court and Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had denied bail on June 4
The trial court had rejected Sisodia’s bail pleas on 30 April this year (2024). Sisodia had approached the High Court against this decision. On May 21, the High Court refused to grant bail to Sisodia in both the cases (corruption and money laundering). After this, he approached the Supreme Court.
On June 4, the Supreme Court refused to consider Sisodia’s bail plea. After this, Sisodia had filed a petition to reconsider it.
On July 11, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Karol and Sanjay Kumar was scheduled to hear the case. However, as soon as the case was put up for hearing, Justice Khanna said, “Our brother (Justice Sanjay Kumar) has some problem. He does not want to hear this case due to personal reasons.”
Sisodia’s bail plea was rejected several times before
- 31 March 2023: Bail plea rejected in CBI case.
- 28 April 2023: Rouse Avenue Court rejects bail plea in ED case.
- 30 May 2023: Delhi High Court rejects bail plea in CBI case.
- 3 July 2023: Delhi High Court rejects bail plea in ED case.
- 30 October 2023: The Supreme Court refused to grant bail in the ED case.
Liquor policy scam and Sisodia’s connection, 5 points
1. New liquor policy came into effect on November 2021
Delhi’s then Deputy CM Manish Sisodia announced the new liquor policy on 22 March 2021. He said that with this policy, liquor shops will go into private hands. When Sisodia was asked the purpose of bringing the new policy, he gave two arguments. First- the mafia rule will end. Second- the government treasury will increase.
The new liquor policy 2021-22 was implemented on 17 November 2021. Due to this, the government got out of the liquor business and this business went into private hands. Due to giving many big discounts, liquor was sold in huge quantities. This increased the government treasury, but this new policy started facing opposition.
2. Allegations of scam in liquor policy in July 2022
On 8 July 2022, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar alleged a scam in the new liquor policy. He submitted a report related to this to LG VK Saxena. It was told that Sisodia gave undue benefits to licensed liquor traders. On the other hand, LG has also said that changes were made in the liquor policy without his and the cabinet’s approval.
3. CBI and ED registered a case on August 2022
LG Saxena demanded a CBI inquiry based on the Chief Secretary’s report. The investigating agency registered a case on 17 August 2022. Manish Sisodia, three retired government officers, 9 businessmen and two companies were made accused in this. A case was registered against all of them under sections related to corruption.
On August 19, raids were conducted at 31 locations in seven states including Sisodia’s house and office. On this, Sisodia claimed that the CBI did not find anything. Meanwhile, on August 22, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case of money laundering after taking information about the case from the CBI.
4. July 2022 Government canceled the new policy
Seeing the controversy increasing, on 28 July 2022, the Delhi government canceled the new liquor policy. It was decided to implement the old policy again. On July 31, the government said in a cabinet note that despite high sales of liquor, the government’s earnings decreased because retail and wholesale traders were withdrawing from the liquor business.
5. CBI arrested Sisodia in February 2023
Sisodia was in charge of the excise department, so he was allegedly made the main accused in this scam. After questioning him several times, the investigating agency arrested him on February 26. He is currently in jail. The CBI accused Sisodia that as the excise minister, he took arbitrary and unilateral decisions, which caused huge losses to the treasury and benefited the liquor traders.
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Delhi liquor policy case: Judicial custody of Kejriwal, Sisodia and K Kavita extended till August 13 in money laundering case
Hearing was held in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday (31 July) in the money laundering and corruption case related to the liquor policy. Special Judge Kaveri Baveja extended the judicial custody of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and BRS leader K Kavita till August 13. Read full news…
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