Delhi Liquor Scam / Supreme Court will give its verdict today to Manish Sisodia - will he get bail or will he remain in jail?

Delhi Liquor Scam: The Supreme Court is ready to give its verdict on the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti will deliver the verdict on the cases being investigated against Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The top court had earlier asked several questions to the CBI and ED regarding the alleged Delhi Excise policy and the cases against Sisodia. The court had even said that you cannot keep Manish Sisodia in jail for his entire life.

What has happened so far in the case related to Manish Sisodia-

Supreme Court asked questions to investigating agencies

The Supreme Court questioned whether any policy decision can be legally challenged? Why was the trial delayed in both CBI and ED cases against Sisodia.

A person cannot be kept behind bars indefinitely.

The Supreme Court asked the ED why the political party concerned, which was allegedly the beneficiary of the policy, was not added as an accused.

The court asked to clarify how Sisodia will be brought under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which states that if the money is not going to him, then it has to be shown that he is in possession of that property.

The top court also questioned the credibility of the approver's statements and asked whether these statements would be credible as they are hearsay. It also asked the agencies how they would prove that bribes were paid and whether it was based solely on the approver's statements.

What did Manish Sisodia's lawyer say?

It was argued on behalf of Sisodia that there is no allegation of bribery against him in the CBI case under PMLA.

It has also been said on behalf of Sisodia that when the trial has not yet started then why has Sisodia been kept behind the bars along with 500 witnesses and more than 50,000 documents.

He also claimed that there was nothing wrong with alcohol policy and that it was the result of an institutionalized, multi-level decision-making process.

Sisodia's lawyer said the policy has been made in a transparent manner after deliberations and approval of the Lieutenant Governor.

The lawyer said it was wrong for the ED to claim that prices increased due to the liquor policy. Rather, he said, prices offered to customers went down.

It was argued that no money trail was found linking Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia did not tamper with the evidence by leaving behind the mobile phone, as claimed by the ED. Sisodia's lawyer said, "The ministers changed their phones. The mobile phones were abandoned before the case was registered."

What did the investigating agencies say?

CBI and ED have claimed that Sisodia had conspired and manipulated the Delhi liquor scam case.

Sisodia had deep nexus with the bureaucrats and threatened and pressurized various officials.

Investigating agencies told the Supreme Court that Sisodia tampered with evidence, threw away a mobile phone which has not been recovered yet.

The CBI also said that Sisodia had confessed to destroying two mobile phones to destroy digital evidence.

Sisodia changed 14 phones during the liquor scam, even after the CBI case was registered.

The ED said a total of 43 SIM cards were used on these 14 phones, of which only 5 were either purchased in his name or issued in his name.

Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the Delhi Liquor Policy scam and has been in judicial custody since then. Meanwhile, the ED arrested him in a money laundering case linked to the CBI case on March 9 after interrogating him in Tihar jail.