NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved the order on AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia’s bail plea in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to a money laundering probe allegedly linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy of the national capital.
After the conclusion of arguments by both parties, Special Judge MK Nagpal decided to pronounce the order on April 26. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the AAP leader, submitted that it is not the job of the ED to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet, it is to tell if any crime was committed, and who benefited from it.
The lawyer argued that Sisodia cannot be kept in custody only on the basis of speculations. Sisodia’s lawyer submitted that no money laundering case is made out against him. The ED has also opposed the bail plea and said, “An illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks”.
Appearing for the ED, Zohaib Hossain submitted before the Court that all the elements of conspiracy are present here in the matter. Conspiracy is hatched in secrecy; the policy made in the public domain submitted ED lawyer and also said every process of activity dealing with proceeds of crime is money laundering.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Tuesday sought the response of the ED on businessman Amandeep Dhall’s bail plea in a money laundering case allegedly linked to the excise policy case. The bail application of Dhall, the executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, was taken before the special judge MK Nagpal at Rouse Avenue Court in the city.
Issuing notice to ED in the matter, the court posted a further hearing for April 26. Recently, the same court permitted the CBI to interrogate Dhall inside Tihar in connection with the case. The CBI, in an application, said, “Some fresh evidence has surfaced which requires further examination of Dhall to unearth the conspiracy hatched between the accused in relation to the Excise case”.
Earlier, his lawyer argued that there is a threat against his client, requesting not to keep him in the same jail where other accused of the same case were lodged. Considering Dhall’s prayer, the court asked the jail authorities to keep him in some other jail as per provisions of the jail manual.