‘Want clear-cut establishment of money trail’, Supreme Court to agencies on bail plea by Manish Sisodia

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the CBI and the ED to show records of the money trail in Delhi's liquor policy scam case as it decided to take up the bail plea of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on September 4.

A bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju that it wanted all details regarding policy decisions, the tampering of evidence, and a clear-cut establishment of the money trail.

Sisodia is facing charges of money laundering and corruption for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of a now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy. He was arrested on February 26, 2023.

Appearing for Sisodia, senior advocate A M Singhvi, sought interim bail to his client on humanitarian grounds as he wanted to attend to his ailing wife.

The bench pointed out that the CBI, in its counter affidavit, had contended that the wife had been suffering from the illness for the past 23 years.

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Singhvi submitted that she is suffering from a degenerative disease which is progressing and was admitted to hospital in June and July.

He said there is no one to attend to her as their only son is in the US.

Singhvi contended that she is having vision problems and also facing difficulties in walking.

The bench said this may be a stable condition and it will take up the interim bail plea after some time, when it hears the regular plea and fixed the matter for further hearing on August 4.

The court, however, told Raju it wanted a clear-cut establishment of the money trail, which is not clear from the central agency’s affidavit.

Raju said that Sisodia’s wife should undergo an independent evaluation by the AIIMS. The bench, however, said that it cannot be insisted so long as she is consulting a reputed doctor.

In his plea, Sisodia claimed this is completely a false and fabricated case as there is no documentary evidence or even an allegation that any of the alleged kickbacks/bribes were paid to or received by him. There is also no evidence or material produced to show any demand or receipt of a bribe by Sisodia. Nothing incriminating was found during the raids and house search of Sisodia, it contended.