NEW DELHI: Hours after the Supreme Court denied bail to former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the liquor policy case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the party respects the apex court but does not agree with its order and will explore further legal options. Sources in the AAP said that it may file a review petition in the top court.
Meanwhile, the Delhi unit of the BJP said that the SC’s observation on the money trail in the ED’s case against Manish Sisodia is a slap on AAP and its convener Arvind Kejriwal who have been saying that there is no evidence of a money trail in the alleged scam.
Reacting to the SC’s order, city education minister Atishi said that it contradicts the proceedings in the court during the hearing. “SC had repeatedly asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the money trail associated with Sisodia, which the ED could not establish. If the ED cannot demonstrate the flow of money to him, questions about money laundering and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act should not arise. Despite sharp comments against the ED, the court has issued an opposite order, refusing the bail,” she said.
“The bench repeatedly asked the ED where the ‘money trail’ related to him was. It questioned whether he or his family members had received any money, or if any company linked to his family members had ever received any money,” the minister said. Atishi mentioned that the top court repeatedly questioned how it could be a money laundering or PMLA case if the ED could not establish any money trail related to Sisodia.
“The SC had also asked why the entire prosecution case of the ED relied solely on the statements of one approver, Dinesh Arora. During the hearing, it was argued in court that an approver could say anything to save himself and his statements cannot be trusted.
Additionally, the Supreme Court stated that policy-making was not within its purview, and even if lobbying occurred in policy-making, it was not necessarily illegal. PMLA could only be imposed if there was clear evidence of money being given from one person to another with the intent to convert black money into white or engage in money laundering,” she said.
The AAP leader further added, “Despite these significant observations, today the Supreme Court issued an opposite verdict. It has been uploaded to its website, and we will carefully study all the legal aspects. Our legal team and the AAP will conduct a thorough examination, and our next steps will be decided based on the available options.”
BJP seeks resignation of Arvind Kejriwal
The BJP on Monday sought Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation for “repeatedly” saying there is no evidence of a money trail in the alleged liquor scam after the SC denied bail to Manish Sisodia. Its Delhi unit said that AAP leaders should stop playing the victim card as the rejection of Sisodia’s pleas was sufficient evidence to prima facie indicate his involvement in the scam. “The order has presented sufficient reason for Kejriwal to resign,” its president Virendra Sachdeva said.