Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia will remain in jail for six more months as the Supreme Court today refused him bail in the Delhi liquor policy case. A money trail of Rs 338 crore has been established in the case, the court noted and ordered that the trial be completed in 6-8 months.
Mr Sisodia can apply for bail again if the trial proceeds slowly, said a two-judge bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti.
“We have referred to the arguments and some of the legal questions but we have not answered most of them. In the analysis, there are certain aspects which are doubtful regarding the transfer of Rs 338 crore transfer is established. We have rejected the bail,” said Justice Khanna.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the Supreme Court denying bail to Mr Sisodia makes it clear that the AAP leadership is involved in corruption. “Arvind Kejriwal will certainly be arrested because the AAP leadership is involved in corruption,” said Mr Tiwari.
Mr Sisodia, top aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested in connection with the alleged liquor scam in February and has been in jail since.
He faces two cases – one each by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the other by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), but denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Sisodia, who was the Deputy Chief Minister in Kejriwal government at the time of his arrest, resigned from the cabinet on February 28. He was handling 18 portfolios at the time, including the Excise Department.
The AAP had earlier said Mr Sisodia’s arrest was an “attack on the Delhi model of governance”.
