The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged before a Delhi court that AAP leader Manish Sisodia and other accused individuals are intentionally delaying the trial in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy “scam.”
During a bail plea hearing before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, the ED opposed Sisodia’s plea and claimed that he, along with other AAP members, received advance kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore as they were responsible for drafting the policy.
Sisodia had approached the court citing a delay in starting the trial, but the ED contended that the delay was caused by the accused and not the prosecution. The agency accused Sisodia and others of making concerted efforts to prolong the trial process.
The judicial remand of Sisodia was extended until April 18 after he appeared before the court following the expiry of his custody. His co-accused and party colleague, Sanjay Singh, also appeared before the court after being granted bail by the Supreme Court.
The ED informed the court that a total of 95 applications seeking similar prayers have been filed by the accused, with six filed by Sisodia alone. The agency also highlighted the imposition of costs on frivolous applications filed by the accused in the case.
Both the CBI and the ED have alleged irregularities in modifying the Delhi Excise Policy, including extending undue favors to license holders, waiving or reducing license fees, and extending licenses without proper authority approval. The probe agencies claim that the illegal gains from these actions were diverted to the accused officials, who also made false entries in their accounts to evade detection.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, in connection with the “scam” and later arrested by the ED on March 9, 2023, in a related money laundering case. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
Sources By Agencies