Manish Sisodia, a former deputy chief minister of Delhi, asserted before the High Court through Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan that the Central Bureau of Investigation has no proof of his involvement in the alleged irregularities in the formulation and application of the Government’s excise policy.
After filing a FIR in the case more than six months prior, Sisodia was taken into custody on February 26, 2023. Additionally, not a single witness received a threat from the applicant during the whole inquiry that lasted six months prior to his arrest.
Sisodia (Applicant)in his bail stated that the possibility of a threat to witness cannot be said to arise without there being any material or antecedents of the Applicant. The witnesses in this case against the applicant are primarily civil servants, over whom the Applicant exercises no control, especially now since he has resigned from his official post.
After the conclusion of the submission arguements made by Sisodia’s lawyer, the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma on Thursday fixed April 26, 2023, for the arguements of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, also appeared for Aam Aadmi Party Leader Manish Sisodia submitted that my client was called for questioning for the second time in February 2023, so all these allegations about my being capable of influencing the witnesses is totally wrong.
Earlier the Delhi HC had issued notice to CBI on a bail plea moved by Manish Sisodia challenging a trial court order denying bail to him in a CBI case related to Excise.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, and is presently in Judicial custody. His bail plea was on March 31, 2023, by the trial Court in the case.
The trial Court while dismissing Sisodia’s bail plea said, “The court is not inclined to release him 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”
According to the CBI, Sisodia 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 the objectives of the said conspiracy.
The payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs. 90-100 crores was meant for him and his other colleagues in the GNCTD and Rs. 20-30 crores out of the above are found to have been routed through the co-accused Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally and approver Dinesh Arora and in turn, certain provisions of the excise policy were permitted to be tweaked and manipulated by the applicant to protect and preserve the interests of South liquor lobby and to ensure repayment of the kickbacks to the said lobby, stated CBI.
Sisodia, in his bail petition in a trial court, 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 also stated that he joined the investigation as and when called for by the CBI. The other accused persons arrested in this case have already been granted bail, Sisodia noted further, adding that he held the important constitutional post of deputy CM of Delhi and has deep roots in the society.
