"Supreme Court to Hear Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's Bail Plea in Delhi Excise Scam Case on July 14"
The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for July 14 regarding the bail plea filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested in connection with the Delhi Excise Scam case. The matter was brought to the attention of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Monday by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who requested an urgent listing due to Sisodia's wife's illness. The CJI directed the case to be listed on July 14.
Sisodia, entangled in the excise policy scam case, has moved the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order that denied him bail in the cases filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Delhi High Court had previously denied bail to Sisodia in the ED case on July 3, as well as in the CBI case related to the same scam.
The allegations in the case involve collusion among Delhi government officials to grant liquor licenses to certain traders in exchange for bribes. The central agencies, CBI and ED, claim that the excise policy was manipulated and profit margins were altered to benefit specific traders, who provided kickbacks in return.
The ED and CBI launched investigations into the alleged scam after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary, which stated that Sisodia violated statutory provisions and implemented a policy with significant financial implications.
Although Sisodia was not initially named in the CBI's chargesheet, he was later added as an accused in the case. Sisodia argues that the policy and its modifications were approved by the LG, and he claims that the CBI is targeting the policy decisions of an elected government.
Sisodia maintains that no money has been traced back to him and argues that the agencies are re-evaluating a liquor policy formulated by the elected government and approved by the LG of Delhi.
In the High Court's order denying Sisodia bail in the ED case, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating that a different approach must be taken due to the alleged deep-rooted conspiracy involving substantial loss of public funds. The judge further noted that the excise policy case is unique, as it alleges that the Deputy Chief Minister formulated a policy to benefit external parties.
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