How will you establish laundering charges against Manish Sisodia factually & legally, SC asks CBI, ED

The top court has also asked the central probe agencies as to why it had not made the political party that allegedly received the proceeds of the crime an accused.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: October 5, 2023 07:56 PM IST

2 min read

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested on February 26. (File Photo/PTI)

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The Supreme Court Thursday, while hearing the bail petition of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is in judicial custody over his alleged involvement in the excise policy scam case, asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) whether there was any evidence to connect the proceeds of the alleged money laundering activity with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.

“How will you establish money laundering by Sisodia factually and legally?… He may be aware it may be used, as per your case, but he never came in actual physical possession,” a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said, according to Bar and Bench.

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“We understand there is a policy change and everybody wants a change that will be beneficial for them. That will be there. If we say special groups are discriminatory… without money consideration, it will not make out an offence… If we go to that extent, there will be no pressure groups or even vested interests when a policy decision is taken then… Some pressure and conflict will always be there. Of course, bribes cannot be accepted,” the bench stated.

The AAP leader was arrested on February 26.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, who appeared for the two agencies said that the question was not whether Sisodia was directly or indirectly involved in illegal activity but that a policy was made that “triggers bribes which acts as proceeds of crimes”.

The top court had also asked the central probe agencies as to why it had not made the political party that allegedly received the proceeds of the crime an accused.

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