Delhi liquorgate: Judicial custody of Sisodia extended till April 18
The Rouse Revenue Court in Delhi has extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia and other arrested individuals in the Delhi liquor scam till April 18th. Sisodia, who formerly served as Delhi's deputy chief minister, is currently held in Tihar jail. During his court appearance, he maintained that investigative agencies have yet to provide any evidence linking him to illicit funds.
Why does this story matter?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Sisodia in February 2023 in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi's now-defunct liquor policy for 2021-22. A month later, the ED arrested him and named him a "key conspirator." The probe agencies have accused Sisodia of extra-procedural interference in framing the excise policy. It is believed that Sisodia changed it for the advantage of specific liquor firms, resulting in a loss of many hundred crores to the state exchequer.
Bail hearing and allegations in excise policy case
The bail petition of Sisodia, which is in relation to a case being investigated by the CBI, was heard by special judge Kaveri Baweja. Earlier, senior advocate Mohit Mathur, representing Sisodia, informed the court that the investigation against his client had concluded. He emphasized that "It has been nearly eleven months.... The investigation is complete. The allegations have to be established. Nothing is attributable as far as it is concerned to me."
Advocate argues Sisodia's eligibility for bail
Mathur stated that there was no financial loss to the government or any individual due to Sisodia's actions. In fact, he pointed out that government revenue had seen an increase. Mathur further asserted that Sisodia met all three criteria for bail — he poses no risk of fleeing, will not influence witnesses, and will not tamper with evidence.
Sisodia's repeated bail applications and appeals
Sisodia had previously submitted bail applications for both the ED and CBI cases, which were rejected on April 28, 2023, and March 31, 2023, respectively. Following these rejections, he appealed to the Delhi high court challenging the trial court's decisions. However, his appeals were dismissed in May and July 2023. Subsequently, he turned to the Supreme Court, which allowed him to submit a new bail plea.
See you soon': Sisodia writes to his constituents from jail
On Friday, Sisodia wrote a letter to his constituents in Patparganj, expressing hope that he would soon be out of jail. In the letter, he drew parallels between his present circumstances and the imprisonment of freedom fighters during colonial times. He cited historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as inspirations, stating that they too were jailed on false charges.