New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday told the Supreme Court that there were a lot of evidence that indicated the direct involvement of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the alleged excise policy “scam” cases and accused him and others of delaying the trial in the cases.
Apex court was hearing bail pleas by Sisodia
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan was hearing pleas moved by Sisodia seeking bail in the money laundering and corruption cases registered by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) respectively in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.
What did CBI, ED submit before the apex court?
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the central agencies, told the top court that it was not a fabricated case as there were a lot of evidence which indicated direct involvement of Sisodia and it has documents to show his neck-deep involvement in the matter and it is not as if he is an innocent person and was just picked up.
ASG Raju further told the bench that there was no delay on the part of the investigating agencies in the proceedings in these cases and those accused in both cases have taken five months for inspecting documents which were not relevant to the trial.
ASG Raju also told the bench that Sisodia’s plea for revival of bail pleas was not maintainable and he has to approach the trial court for relief.
What did Sisodia submit before the apex court?
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Sisodia, told the bench that Sisodia is behind bars since February last year after his arrest and said why his client should be in jail after 17 months is the larger liberty question. Highlighting the progress of the cases, Singhvi argued that the trial in the cases have not even started and investigation to trace proceeds of crime is still ongoing. There is no point of all high sounding principles – bail not jail and speedy trial – if they are not operationalised on the ground, Singhvi argued.
Singhvi also opposed the submissions of ASG Raju that Sisodia should approach the trial court for relief. Referring to the top court’s June 4 order, he said that the bench had disposed of bail pleas of Sisodia with liberty to revive his prayer for bail afresh after the ED and the CBI have filed their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet respectively and referring to top court’s October last year order, he said that that the apex court had noted the assurance given by the prosecution that they shall conclude the trial within the next six to eight months.
The arguments remained inconclusive on Monday and the matter would be further heard next week,
Sisodia moved apex court challenging Delhi High Court orders denying him bail in CBI, ED cases
Sisodia moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 orders refusing to grant him bail in money laundering and corruption cases.
The apex court on June 4 disposed of Sisodia’s bail pleas, with granting liberty to him to revive his bail pleas after the final prosecution complaint and charge sheet are filed before the trial court.
The Supreme Court earlier in October last year dismissed Sisodia’s bail pleas in both case, however, it granted him liberty to move a fresh bail plea before the trial court after three months if there was a change in the circumstances or trial got protracted.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the excise policy-linked corruption case in February last year and later the ED also arrested him in the money laundering case from Tihar Jail.