Delhi Excise Policy Scam: SC grills CBI & ED, asks how money laundering case made out against Manish Sisodia
Supreme Court on Thursday posed a volley of questions to the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate about the Delhi excise policy 'scam' and asked the anti-money laundering agency how a case was made out against former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. The top court said merely because some lobby or pressure groups had sought a certain policy change does not imply there was corruption or commission of crime unless an element of bribery was involved.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti grilled both the federal agencies over the alleged involvement of Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases, and remarked those cases won't «stand two questions» before the trial court.
«We understand that there was a policy change and everyone will support policies which are good for business. Pressure groups are always there but policy changes without money consideration will not matter. It's the money part which makes it an offence.
If we go to an extent to say that there cannot be any pressure groups, no government can function...Lobbying will always be there. Of course, bribes cannot be accepted,» the bench told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for both the CBI and the ED.
Raju said the policy was tailor-made so as to benefit the wholesalers and increase their share of profit in the liquor business.
