Excise policy scam case: Manish Sisodia moves Supreme Court for bail

• Image Credit: Google

• Feb 28, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Excise policy case: The minister was arrested earlier this week by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his suspected role in the new excise policy scam...

Digital Desk: Delhi's Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has moved the Supreme Court to secure bail. The minister was arrested earlier this week by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his suspected role in the new excise policy scam.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the corruption case after being called for questioning on Sunday. The AAP protested against the action in the National Capital on Monday. The Delhi Police detained nearly 50 people, including MPs Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai.

Following Sisodia's arrest on Sunday, the AAP claimed that police had arrested around 80% of the party's leaders on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the AAP, Saurabh Bhardwaj compared the current state of affairs in Delhi to the 1975 Emergency imposed by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Bhardwaj said, these are "signs of an emergency," and the Narendra Modi government at the Central is doing what former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi did when she declared an emergency in 1975.

"These are extremely dangerous signs. These are signs of an emergency. You have imprisoned all of the leaders for no cause, which is wrong. The central government should explain why it arrested our top leaders and jailed them," he said. 

On Monday, he questioned what new development had happened that prompted Manish Sisodia's arrest. The allegation was made against him last year.

Delhi L-G VK Saxena had suggested an FIR against Sisodia and others, alleging inconsistencies in the new excise policy, which went into effect last year. Following the action, the AAP government withdrew the policy.

"Today, I read all the newspapers to determine if anything new was found against him (Sisodia). It was the same tired story that CBI has been telling since May of last year," he claimed.

He wondered if Manish Sisodia was leaving the nation or influencing any evidence.

"He had numerous opportunities in the last eight months, and he could have taken advantage of them, so why would he do it now?" he said.

Last year, the CBI raided his home. The report claims that they didn't find anything amiss.

Before his questioning, Sisodia predicted he would be arrested for several months.