The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s review petition against its October 30 judgement denying him bail, Live Law reported.
“We have carefully perused review petitions as also the grounds in support thereof,” a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said. “In our opinion, no case for review of the judgement dated 30.10.2023 is made out.”
The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate have accused Sisodia of involvement in alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s now-scrapped liquor policy. The Aam Aadmi Party leader was arrested on February 26.
The central investigative agencies have alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi modified the liquor excise policy to ensure a 12% profit margin for wholesalers and a nearly 185% profit margin for retailers. Sisodia handled 18 portfolios at the time, including the excise department.
The Enforcement Directorate has claimed that members of a so-called South Group had paid at least Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party through businessman Vijay Nair. The agency also alleged that the “South Group secured uninhibited access, attained stakes in established wholesale businesses and multiple retail zones [over and above what was allowed in the policy]”.
In October, the Supreme Court had observed that authorities had tentatively established a money trail worth Rs 338 crores. While denying Sisodia bail on October 30, the court had ordered that the trial in the case be completed within six to eight months.
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