SC casts doubt on ED, CBI evidence against Sisodia in liquor policy case

New Delhi; The Supreme Court, while hearing the bail petition of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, has cast doubt on the completeness of the evidence presented by investigative agencies.

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti questioned the lack of a fully established chain of evidence and raised concerns about the credibility of the case against Sisodia.

The court specifically pointed to the sole reliance on the statement of businessman Dinesh Arora, who himself is an accused in the case.

Justices Khanna and Bhatti questioned where the proof against Sisodia lies, emphasizing that the agencies' case hinges on the allegation that money was received by Sisodia. They challenged the agencies to identify the source of the funds and questioned the assumption that the money necessarily came from the so-called "liquor group."

The court brought attention to the figures mentioned in the case, namely ₹100 crore and ₹30 crore, asking the prosecution to clarify who paid these amounts and whether there is concrete evidence linking these transactions to the liquor lobby.

Justice Khanna highlighted the lack of substantial evidence beyond Arora's statement, emphasizing that the chain of events has not been fully established.

Acknowledging the challenges posed by the covert nature of the alleged transactions, the court conceded that establishing the chain is difficult but urged the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation to demonstrate their competence in unravelling such complex cases.