Factual Background 

In the matter of Manish Sisodia v Enforcement Directorate Manish Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was denied bail on Friday by a court in Delhi in the money laundering case that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed against him in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The court determined that Sisodia was in charge of altering the wholesalers’ profit margins and eligibility requirements and that this was done without consulting the Group of Ministers (GoM). It is claimed that Sisodia and other AAP members conspired to give liquor licences to specific dealers in exchange for bribery, amending the GoM report unilaterally to fit South lobby requirements. According to the central agencies, changes were made to the excise policy and profit margins that favoured specific dealers, and in exchange, kickbacks were given. Based on a report from the Delhi Chief Secretary, the ED and the CBI filed cases in connection with the suspected scam. According to the study, Sisodia broke the law and informed a policy that had serious financial repercussions.

The Contention from Parties

The petition claims that no funds have been linked to a prominent AAP politician and that the agencies are reviewing the spirits policy, which was developed by the elected administration and authorised by the Lieutenant Governor (LG). According to Sisodia, the LG approved the policy and the adjustments made to it, and the CBI is now pursuing the policy choices of an elected administration. Despite the fact that Sisodia was initially not listed in the CBI’s chargesheet, the CBI later filed another chargesheet listing him as an accused party in the case. As a result, every accusation levelled against him is untrue and fraudulent, and Sisodia is innocent.

Court Observation 

Sisodia, according to Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court, was the criminal conspiracy’s primary planner and mastermind. The evidence on file, according to Judge Nagpal, indicated that Sisodia was involved in the creation of around $100 crores in criminal proceeds in the form of advance kickbacks that were given to Vijay Nair by the South Lobby. The Court reached the conclusion that ED had successfully demonstrated real and prima facie evidence that Sisodia was implicated in the money laundering violation. As a result, the Court denied Sisodia’s request for release.