Former Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court will pronounce an order on former deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia’s bail plea in the now scrapped excise policy case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on March 31. Mr. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody in the cases registered by the CBI and ED, till April 3.

Special Judge M.K. Nagpal on March 24, 2023 said that the court will pronounce the order on Mr Sisodia’s bail at 4 pm on March 31. The bail plea was filed in the case lodged by CBI.

Mr Sisodia’s bail plea in the money laundering case will be heard by this court on March 25, 2023.

Earlier this week, during the bail hearing of Mr Sisodia, the court heard the objections raised by CBI on his release. CBI had said that granting bail to the AAP leader will jeopardise the investigation as there has been a “constant practice” of destruction of evidence by him.

Senior Advocates Dayan Krishnan and Mohit Mathur, who had appeared on behalf of Mr Sisodia had submitted that his wife, who is severely ill needs him and that his custody if no longer needed in the interrogation.

The CBI arrested Mr Sisodia on February 26 in connection with the allegation of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy case.

As alleged, the excise policy was modified to extend undue favours to licence holders; licence fee was waived or reduced; and L-1 (wholesaler) licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.

It is alleged that the then AAP communication and media in-charge Vijay Nair, on behalf of AAP leaders, received ₹100 crore as “kickbacks” in advance from a “South Group” whose prominent entities were YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, TRS MLC K. Kavitha and Aurobindo Pharma director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy.

The group partners were allegedly given 65% stakes in Mahandru’s Indo Spirits for the recovery of payments. The stakes were controlled through “false representation, concealment of true ownership and proxies”.

According to the CBI chargesheet, the wholesale distribution of Pernod Ricard and Diageo was to go to Indo Spirits and Brindco Spirits, respectively. After getting the money back, the 6% kickbacks received from wholesalers was to be shared equally between Mr. Nair and Hyderabad-businessman Abhishek Boinpally.

Based on the CBI case, the ED is conducting a money laundering probe and has arrested nine persons. Its chargesheet states that a portion of the alleged kickbacks was diverted through “hawala” channels for the AAP’s poll campaign in the 2022 Goa Assembly election.