Priya Aditi
The Supreme Court questioned why the AAP was not accused in the case in which, among others, Manish Sisodia is being tried.
A day after asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to explain why the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was not charged in the Delhi excise policy case, the Supreme Court clarified that it had no intention of implicating anyone. The bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti stated that the explanation was requested in relation to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as a legal query.
“We want to clarify that our query was not to implicate anyone. Can B or C be prosecuted if, according to the prosecution, the beneficiary is A, but A is not being prosecuted? In this context, the query was posed,” Justice Khanna said while hearing AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s bail application.
The clarification came after Sisodia’s attorney, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, informed the court that the media was distorting the question. Singhvi added that the court’s inquiry “appears to be the basis for making AAP a political party.”
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju stated, “I only told the media that the innocent will not be harassed and the guilty will not be spared.”
Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the federal anti-money laundering agency to explain why the AAP was not charged in the case in which, among others, former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is on trial. According to the agency, the AAP is the primary beneficiary of the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.
The bench stated, “We require clarification on the issue that Sisodia is cited as one of the beneficiaries in relation to the money laundering offense. Your entire argument is that the political party benefited from this. However, they are not charged. How would you respond?”
The court’s question baffled both parties, as Sisodia did not argue this point. The court informed the attorney, “He (Sisodia) has not raised this issue. We have addressed you directly. Regardless, you must respond by tomorrow.”
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In February, the CBI apprehended Sisodia in connection with the excise policy, and in March, the ED did the same.
