According to Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, the Delhi High Court has served a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the bail plea of Manish Sisodia, a former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and prominent member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in the Delhi excise policy case. The agency has been granted a two-week period to submit its response.
“Issue notice. Let reply be filed positively within two weeks. Copy to be given to the other side as well,” the Court observed.
On February 26, Manish Sisodia, a former excise minister and prominent member of the AAP, was arrested by the CBI in connection with the liquor policy case. Sisodia was then arrested by the ED on March 9.
The central agencies allege that Sisodia and other AAP members conspired to grant liquor licenses to specific traders in exchange for bribes. It is claimed that the excise policy was modified to benefit certain traders, resulting in kickbacks.
After Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary, investigations were opened into the alleged scam by the ED and CBI. According to the report, Sisodia violated statutory provisions by notifying a policy with significant financial implications.
On March 31, a trial court in Delhi denied Sisodia’s bail application. Special CBI judge MK Nagpal, in a detailed order, stated that the former excise minister played the most important and vital role in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy criminal conspiracy. In the CBI case, Sisodia has already been denied bail.
The case was then posted for further review on April 20. Although Sisodia was not named in the CBI’s chargesheet, the investigation against him and others continued. The AAP has denied the allegations, claiming that Sisodia is innocent.
According to Sisodia, the policy and the changes made to it were approved by the LG, and the CBI is now investigating policy decisions made by an elected government.
