The Supreme Court denied the bail petitions of Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, in cases involving corruption and money-laundering associated with the abandoned excise policy for the nation’s capital on October 30, .
The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss Manish Sisodia’s bail application on October 30 has incited vigorous responses within the political community. Following the dismissal of his bail plea, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced criticism from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who accused AAP members of engaging in corrupt activities.
Manoj Tiwari, the BJP Member of Parliament representing North East Delhi, commented on this recent development, suggesting that Delhi’s Chief Minister and AAP leader, Arvind Kejriwal, could be the next target for arrest, alleging that AAP members are deeply involved in corruption. ” The Supreme Court’s decision proves that Manish Sisodia and AAP are fully corrupt. Now, the arrest of top leaders of AAP is not too far as well,” said Tiwari. “Arvind Kejriwal too will get arrested,” the BJP MP stated today. Shehzad Poonawalla, a prominent leader within the BJP, released an extensive statement in response to the rejection of Sisodia’s bail request, where he criticized the AAP for alleged involvement in money laundering. “After the trial court and the high court, now the Supreme Court has also denied bail to Manish Sisodia. All the defences of AAP fell flat on their faces,” Poonawalla said today. The Supreme Court said that a Rs 338 crore money trail has been established,” he further said. Poonawalla additionally called for an immediate resignation from Kejriwal, accusing him of having close ties with corrupt politicians within the party. He asserted that Kejriwal was also implicated in the excise policy scandal and described him as the central figure in the entire liquor-related scandal. On the other hand, defending his party member, Atishi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, expressed that while the party and its leaders hold the Supreme Court in high regard, they have differing opinions about its decision to reject the bail application of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The AAP intends to pursue additional legal avenues in response to this decision. A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice SVN Bhatti noted that they have taken into account the assurances from the investigative agencies that the trial for these cases is expected to be completed within six to eight months. The bench further mentioned that if the trial is conducted in an inefficient manner, Sisodia will have the option to seek bail in these cases after three months.
In a press conference held after the court’s ruling, Atishi stated that despite the court making critical remarks about the investigative agencies, they have issued an “adverse order”. “While his bail plea was being heard, the Supreme Court constantly asked the ED tough questions like where is the money trail. The apex court also pointed out that the case is based on the statement of one approver Dinesh Arora,” she said. “The entire country is watching how the BJP is using agencies like the ED and the CBI to target opposition parties,” she added.
