The Supreme Court on Monday rejected former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s bail pleas in a case related to the Delhi liqour excise policy ‘scam.’
The AAP leader was earlier denied bail by the High Court in the money-laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government’s excise policy, holding that the charges against him are ‘very serious in nature’.
Mr Sisodia has been in custody since he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 for his alleged role in the ‘scam’.
The bail pleas were taken up by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti who directed to conclude the trial procedure in the case in six to eight months.
The apex court further said that if the trial proceeds at a slower pace, Mr Sisodia can re-apply for bail at a later stage.
Earlier, the top court told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that if a bribe that was allegedly paid for tweaking the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy is not part of the predicate offence, it would be difficult to prove the money-laundering case against Sisodia.
Further it told the CBI that the case cannot go on based on assumptions and whatever protection is there under law, needs to be granted.
After being arrested by CBI, the ED took Sisodia in their custody after questioning him at Tihar jail.
The SC had on May 30 turned down his bail plea. The apex court observed Mr Sisodia, having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, is a ‘high-profile’ person who has the potential to influence witnesses.
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