E-Paper
Excise case: CBI opposes Sisodia’s bail plea, says he can influence witnesses
This comes a day after CBI for the first time named the former Delhi deputy chief minister in its second charge sheet in the case filed on Tuesday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday told the Delhi high court that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia should not be granted bail as he was at the “helm of all things” related to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, and was “capable of pressurising people”.
While opposing Sisodia’s bail plea in the case, CBI alleged that the AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair was also involved in the formation of the policy “which was not approved by the LG ( Delhi lieutenant governor).
This comes a day after CBI for the first time named the former Delhi deputy chief minister in its second charge sheet in the case filed on Tuesday.
Appearing for CBI, additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, told Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma that Sisodia and Nair manipulated to favour cartelisation and monopolisation in liquor trade in the national capital, adding that the former cannot be considered at parity with the other accused due to his influential position.
Read: Delhi court likely to pass order on Sisodia's bail plea on April 28: Report
“Sisodia is capable of pressurising people and the day CBI arrested him, he destroyed his phone. He also stated that according to evidence, he destroyed the two mobile phones he used — one in July 2022 and the other one right before his arrest,” the ASG said.
Sisodia was arrested by CBI on February 26 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
“The main players being, the accused (Sisodia), Vijay Nair who was closely related to the Aam Aadmi Party and was in fact occupying a minister’s bungalow, one Kailash Gehlot’s, side by side to CM Arvind Kejriwal. Nair was the communication in-charge of the AAP, and had access to party meetings….Our case is that at the behest of the ‘South Group’, the 5% interest was increased to 12%, right after a meeting that happened with the members of the ‘South group’”, the senior law officer said.
On a specific query from the judge on the case, CBI said, “It was a fraud, a scam whereby money was to be made. But they wanted to show they are transparent. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of liquor were all connected. A bribe of ₹90-100 crore was paid before the policy fructified. The involvement of Manish Sisodia was at the helm of all things,” the law officer argued.
The ASG further said no discussion was done on the policy and it was implemented as it was not possible to generate kickbacks in the previous policy.
The high court asked CBI to file a short note on its submissions and listed the matter for further hearing on Friday.
Last week, Sisodia contended in the court that no evidence of money trail has been found against him and that he has been singled out by the probe agency.
On March 31, a trial court dismissed Sisodia’s bail plea in the matter, saying he was “prima facie the architect” of the “scam” and had played the “most important and vital role” in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of ₹90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.
In his plea filed before the court, Sisodia said the excise policy was the “collective responsibility” of the Cabinet and it was implemented after being drafted by the excise department, and being duly approved.
