Delhi Excise Policy ‘scam’: Supreme Court dismisses curative petitions of AAP leader Manish Sisodia

Satya Prakash

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New Delhi, March 14

The Supreme Court has dismissed curative petitions filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia against rejection of his bail plea in corruption and money laundering cases relating to the Delhi Excise Policy scam.

A four-judge Curative Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud on Tuesday rejected AAP leader Sisodia’s pleas, saying no case was made out for reconsidering the verdict turning down his bail plea.

The other three judges on the Curative Bench were Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice SVN Bhatti.

The top court had on December 14, 2023, dismissed Sisodia’s pleas seeking review of its October 30 verdict dismissing his bail petitions in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the scam.

It had denied him bail, saying the allegations by the probe agencies that ‘windfall gains’ of Rs 338 crore was made by a few wholesale distributors was ‘tentatively supported’ by evidence.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the ‘scam’ and he resigned from the Delhi cabinet two days later. The ED arrested him in a money-laundering case related to the scam on March 9, 2023, after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

The Delhi government had implemented the new excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption. The profit margin of wholesalers was increased from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new policy, the probe agencies alleged.

The new policy resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits, the agencies alleged. However, Sisodia denied any wrongdoing and claimed the new policy would have led to an increase in the city government’s revenue.