The Supreme Court has dismissed the review petition filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, challenging the denial of bail in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise Policy scam. The court stated that no grounds for review were established, maintaining its previous judgment from October 30, 2023.
Sisodia, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, accused of corruption in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-21. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) later arrested him in connection with the money laundering case.
The Delhi government, under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had implemented the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-21 on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it in September 2022 amid corruption allegations. The investigating agencies claimed that the new policy led to increased profit margins for wholesalers, fostering cartelization and favoring ineligible entities for liquor licenses.
Despite allegations, the Delhi government and Sisodia insisted that the policy would have boosted government revenue. Sisodia has been in custody since his arrest in February.
