Why wasn't AAP arraigned in case, SC asks ED during Sisodia hearing

AAP leader's counsel Abhishek Singhvi submits that he satisfies all conditions for grant of bail since he is not a flight risk and will not threaten any witnesses

- JAISON WILSON

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) why the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party or its office bearers have not been made an accused in the ED case in the alleged excise scam if it is alleged to be the beneficiary of the money laundering.

"A political party is said to be the beneficiary of this, but they are not an accused or impleaded. How do you answer that?" a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti remarked during the hearing of hearing of the bail plea of jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia, who is behind the bars for over seven months in the corruption case related to the now-scrapped excise policy of the national capital, was initially arrested by the CBI on February 26 and later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 in Tihar Jail in a related case of money laundering.

During the hearing, the ED had claimed that the AAP used Rs 100 crore received as kickbacks from various stakeholders for its campaign in the 2022 Goa assembly elections.