Excise Case: Delhi HC dismisses Manish Sisodia’s bail plea in CBI case

The Delhi High Court denied Manish Sisodia’s bail application in a CBI case involving alleged corruption in the implementation of the previous liquor policy in the national capital on Tuesday. The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma denied Sisodia bail, stating that because the applicant (Sisodia) is powerful, there is a possibility of him influencing the witnesses.

During arguments, the CBI had opposed the bail plea moved by Manish Sisodia and stated, “The applicant (Sisodia) enjoys close nexus with the executive, offices and bureaucrats and his influence and clout is evident. His party colleagues holding high ranks continue to make factually wrong claims in order to influence the investigation and also claiming the applicant to be a victim of a political vendetta.”

A review of the statements made by this political leader (s) during press conferences would reveal how the entire effort of not only the Applicant but also his party colleagues as a whole is to shield the accused, stated the CBI in its response opposing Sisodia’s bail plea.

The statements also undermine the authority of the Special Judge (CBI), who has already taken cognizance of the offences, and are being made to harm the investigation by levelling unwarranted and unsubstantiated allegations against the CBI, thereby influencing and discouraging witnesses, according to the CBI.

In its reply filed in the Delhi High Court, the CBI stated that any release of the Applicant on bail would seriously jeopardise the investigation, particularly if the Applicant failed to meet the ‘triple test’ for bail. While personal liberty is paramount, it is not absolute and is subject to reasonable constraints, such as the interests of the state and the public.

Earlier in the proceedings, Manish Sisodia, through Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation has no evidence to show his involvement in the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Government’s excise policy.

Except for Sisodia, every accused in the CBI case has been released on bail, according to the lawyer. Sisodia was arrested on February 26, 2023, more than 6 months after the FIR was filed. And, during the six months preceding the applicant’s arrest, there was not a single instance in which the applicant threatened any witness.

Sisodia stated in his bail that the possibility of a threat to a witness cannot be said to exist in the absence of any material or antecedents of the Applicant. The witnesses in this case against the applicant are mostly civil servants over whom the Applicant has no authority, especially now that he has resigned from his official position.

Read also : Excise Case: Delhi HC dismisses Manish Sisodia’s bail plea in CBI case

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