Liquor Policy Case: Probe Agency's "Rs 622 Crore" Charge Against Manish Sisodia

Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Saturday listed the supplementary charge sheet filed against AAP leader Manish Sisodia for consideration on May 10.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprised the Delhi Court that a proceed of a crime of Rs 622 crore was generated due to the activities of the accused as Excise Minister.

The submission was filed before the court by the special public prosecutor for ED during a hearing on a charge sheet against former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Special judge MK Nagpal has listed the matter for consideration on May 10.

ED apprised the court that the hard copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been filed. Thereafter, the court directed the ED to file the soft copies of the charge sheet by May 8.

Advocate Irshad Khan requested the court to provide a copy of the charge sheet as the bail in this matter is pending before the High Court.

Manish Sisodia is to be produced after judicial custody on Monday. His bail is listed in the high court on May 11.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a Supplementary charge sheet against Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise policy case.

The supplementary charge sheet was filed by special public prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta.

The supplementary charge sheet has more than 2100 pages. The operating part has 271 pages. The charge has been filed within the stipulated period of 60 days.

Mr Sisodia was arrested by the ED in this case on March 9. Earlier he was arrested by the CBI on February 26. He is the 29th accused arrested in this case.

The CBI has already filed the charge sheet in the matter.

The Delhi High Court issued notice to ED on Mr Sisodia's bail petition in a money laundering case.

Mr Sisodia has moved both regular and interim bail pleas in the high court. He has moved interim bail plea citing his wife's illness and seeks six weeks' bail in that.

Earlier Trial Court dismissed Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case.

"This case of economic offences having serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large as the evidence collected during investigation speaks volumes of his involvement in the commission of the said offence", stated the Rouse Avenue Court last week while dismissing Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case related to the Excise scam.

Court also noted that some evidence is also alleged to have surfaced during the investigation to show that some part of the kickback or bribe amount received from South lobby was spent or utilized in connection with AAP's election campaign in Goa and some cash payments through Hawala channels are alleged to have been sent to Goa for bearing the said expenses and even some fake invoices are alleged to have been created as a cover-up for the cash amounts transferred through hawala channels.

It is stated that the above cash transfers were made as per instructions of the co-accused Vijay Nair, who was the representative of the applicant and the AAP and also the Media Incharge of AAP and looking after the work related to said elections.

He also roped in a company named Chariot Productions Media Pvt. Ltd. owned by the co-accused Rajesh Joshi to do the election-related advertising work and other jobs for the party during said elections, noted the court.

"Thus, in view of the above background, the serious nature of the allegations made and the role played by the applicant in the above criminal conspiracy, his connection with the activities relating to the generation or acquisition and use etc. of the above proceeds of crime within the meaning of Section 3 of the PMLA and the oral and documentary evidence collected in support of the same and as placed for the perusal of the court", the order stated.

The order further said, "This court is of the considered opinion that even if the rigours and restrictions contained U/S 45 of the PMLA are viewed and construed reasonably, the prosecution has still been able to show a genuine and prima facie case for the involvement of the applicant in the commission of the alleged offence of money laundering."

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail.

Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

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