NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Rose Avenue Court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia- former Delhi Deputy chief and AAP leader in connection with the liquor policy scam for which he has been behind bars for three months till May 12.
Opposing the bail plea submitted by the top AAP leaders- the CBI on Wednesday argued that the case is a ‘deep-rooted conspiracy’.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, appearing for CBI, submitted that the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was manipulated to favor cartelization and monopolization in liquor trade while Sisodia and AAP communication overseer and businessman Vijay Nair were the main conspirators. The CBI Counsel argued that the accused wanted to make money the cleaner way. “It was a fraud, a scam whereby money was to be made. But they wanted to show they are transparent. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of liquor were all connected. The involvement of Manish Sisodia was at the helm of all things,” it said. The counsel added that the policy was not brought under discussion and approved by the Delhi L-G.
Sisodia in his plea pointed out the other accused who got the relief, arguing he is not in a position to influence the witnesses in the case or tamper with evidence.
In its chargesheet that the CBI filed on Wednesday, “The main players being, the accused (Manish Sisodia), Vijay Nair who was closely related to the Aam Aadmi Party and was, in fact, occupying a Minister’s Bungalow, one Kailash Gehlot’s, side by side to the CM (Arvind Kejriwal). Nair was the communicator in charge of AAP and had access to party meetings. Our case is that at the behest of the ‘South Group’, the 5 percent interest was increased to 12 percent, right after a meeting that happened with the members of the South group”, said Raju.
After hearing the matter at length, Justice Sharma said: “At the stage of bail, we cannot go into much detail. Please show me evidence on which you (CBI) are relying in the present case.”