NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to Manish Sisodia, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former deputy chief minister. The decision pertains to a money laundering case linked to an alleged excise policy scam. The court stated that Sisodia did not meet the twin conditions necessary for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002. The denial of bail adds to the legal challenges faced by Sisodia, who was also denied bail in a separate case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Co-accused individuals, including Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally, AAP’s communications incharge Vijay Nair, and Pernod Ricard India’s General Manager Benoy Babu, were also denied bail by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma.
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Previously, the court rejected Sisodia’s plea for interim bail due to his wife’s health condition, noting the seriousness of the allegations against him and considering his previous positions.
On February 26, the CBI arrested Manish Sisodia, an AAP leader, in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy for the year 2021-22. According to the CBI, Sisodia was taken into custody due to evasive responses and lack of cooperation during the investigation, even when presented with evidence. The CBI’s FIR stated that Sisodia, along with others, played a significant role in making recommendations and decisions related to the excise policy without the necessary approval, with the intention of granting undue favors to licensees after the tender process.
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Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has put forward allegations that the implementation of the excise policy was part of a larger conspiracy aimed at providing certain private companies with a 12% profit margin in the wholesale business. The ED has highlighted that this stipulation was not recorded in the official minutes of the Group of Ministers (GoM) meetings. Additionally, the agency has asserted that Vijay Nair and other individuals, in collaboration with the South Group, orchestrated a conspiracy to grant unusually high profit margins to wholesalers. The ED further claims that Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.
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