3 reasons why Sanjay Singh's bail may help Manish Sisodia in Delhi Excise Policy Case

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is out of jail, becoming the first Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to be granted bail by the Supreme Court in Delhi Excise Policy Case, the same case for which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested and put behind the bars.

Though Singh is out of prison, his party colleagues Kejriwal, ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, AAP’s communications head Vijay Nair are still languishing in jail for their alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy Case.

With Singh’s release, the focus now shifts to the bail pleas of another high-profile leader Sisodia who is currently lodged in Tihar jail and has moved a fresh bail in a lower court on Tuesday after being denied by the apex court earlier.

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Let’s find out how Singh’s bail may help Sisodia’s case who has moved a Delhi court with a bail request, saying that no purpose will be served by keeping him in jail.

1 - No money trail

During Singh’s bail plea hearing, the top court observed that no money had been recovered from the AAP Rajya Sabha MP. The court also said no money was recovered from him. Similarly, in October, the apex court questioned ED on how Sisodia could be implicated in money laundering in the liquor policy case if he was not part of the money trail and money did not reach his “pocket”.

2 - No implication so far

Initially, in the case, the court said Singh was not implicated. Similarly, the top court, in October last year, asked the CBI and ED how a case was made out against Sisodia in the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.

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According to the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report last year, “Minister In-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia, took and got executed, major decisions/actions”, which were “in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications.”

Sisodia also allegedly extended undue financial favours to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer, the report claimed.

However, his name was not implicated by anyone investigated by the probe agencies investigating the Delhi Excise Policy case.

3 - Will Section 45 of PMLA, 2002, be applicable to Sisodia?

On Tuesday, when Singh’s bail plea was heard, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi contended that there was no substantial evidence against him and it was a fit case for bail after six months in custody. In his bail plea, Sisodia also told the court that ED’s money laundering case related to alleged Delhi liquor policy scam was already complete and there was no possibility of him hampering the probe or destroying evidence.

Sisodia was arrested on February 26, 2022, by the CBI. In March last year, ED arrested the Delhi Deputy CM.

Meanwhile, Singh was granted bail on Tuesday (April 2) after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) did not object to his release.

Singh was arrested on October 4 last year after the ED specifically alleged that he or “his person” had received proceeds of crime to the extent of Rs 2 crore and was closely associated with co-accused persons.