The case of Manish Sisodia, the jailed AAP leader, has taken another turn as he seeks an early hearing of his two curative petitions in the Supreme Court. These petitions challenge the 2023 verdict that denied him bail in corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
Represented by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, Sisodia urged the court to expedite the process, as a trial court has deferred his bail plea until the curative petitions are decided.
On December 14, 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed Sisodia's pleas seeking a review of its October 30 verdict, which rejected his bail petitions. The court, in its previous ruling, denied him bail, citing allegations by probe agencies of "windfall gains" amounting to Rs 338 crore made by a few wholesale distributors, tentatively supported by evidence.
Sisodia's legal woes began with his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the scam. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023, after questioning him in Tihar Jail.
Following these events, Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023. The case revolves around the Delhi government's implementation of a new excise policy on November 17, 2021, which was later scrapped in September 2022 amid corruption allegations.
Investigating agencies claim that the policy led to an increase in the profit margin of wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent, resulting in cartelization and favoritism towards ineligible applicants for liquor licenses.
However, both the Delhi government and Sisodia have vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the new policy aimed to boost the city government's revenue.
Despite their assertions, the legal battle continues, with Sisodia's hopes now resting on an early hearing of his curative petitions in the apex court. As the case unfolds, it underscores the complexities of legal proceedings and the importance of due process in addressing allegations of corruption and misconduct at the highest levels of government.
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