Delhi excise scam: Court dismisses Manish Sisodia's bail plea

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed bail plea filed by former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in a case related to alleged irregularities in the now-repealed liquor excise policy.

A special CBI court in Delhi's Rouse Avenue headed by M K Nagpal dismissed bail to Manish Sisodia in the CBI case registered against him in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in implementing the now-scrapped excise policy in Delhi.

While denying bail to Sisodia, the court said his release may adversely impact the ongoing investigation and "seriously hamper" its progress.

"Thus, it is clear from the above discussion that the applicant had played the most important and vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy to ensure the achievement of objectives of the said conspiracy... Thus, as per allegations made by the prosecution and the evidence collected in support thereof so far, the applicant can prima facie be held to be the architect of the said criminal conspiracy," the bench said.

"... This court is not inclined to release the applicant 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 thereof. Therefore, this bail application filed on behalf of the applicant is being dismissed," the judge said in his 34-page order.

Sisodia, in his bail plea, stated that no fruitful purpose would be served to keep him in custody as all the recoveries in the case have already been made.

He even stressed that he joined the investigation as and when called for by the CBI.

However, the CBI opposed Sisodia's bail plea stating, "If he is granted bail this will scuttle and compromise our investigation as the influence and interference are writ large," CBI said.

The agency further claimed that Sisodia said he destroyed phones because he wanted to upgrade but nothing of the kind happened.

"According to us, he did this to destroy the chat. He (Manish Sisodia) might not be at a flight risk, but he is a definite risk who will destroy evidence, this cannot be ignored," CBI added, opposing Sisodia's bail plea.

"They got 36 pages of photocopies. There were meetings and a printout was made. We have evidence to show that clauses were given and a report was prepared," the CBI stated.

The CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.