HC issues notice to CBI, ED in Manish Sisodia's bail plea over excise policy case

Delhi High Court seeks CBI and ED responses on Manish Sisodia's bail pleas in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the excise policy scam. The court also permitted Sisodia to continue weekly meetings with his wife during the bail process. Sisodia, former deputy chief minister, has been accused of irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, which allegedly benefited certain liquor distributors. The CBI and ED allege that the policy was modified with undue favors extended to license holders. Sisodia's bail pleas were previously dismissed by a trial court and the Delhi High Court, which the Supreme Court also upheld.

The Delhi High Court sought the response of the CBI and ED on Friday on former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's pleas seeking bail in the corruption and money-laundering cases lodged by the agencies in relation to the alleged excise policy scam.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sisodia's pleas challenging a trial court's April 30 order by which his bail petitions were dismissed.

The high court listed the matter for further hearing on May 8.

Sisodia's lawyers said an application has also been filed seeking an interim relief for the continuation of the trial court's order allowing him to meet his ailing wife once a week in custody during the pendency of his bail pleas.

As the counsel for the ED submitted that the agency has no objection if the trial court order is continued, the judge allowed the request.

The trial court had dismissed Sisodia's bail pleas in the corruption and money-laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED respectively in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

The beneficiaries diverted ''illegal'' gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies have alleged.

According to the CBI and ED, which are probing the cases against Sisodia, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.

The special judge had, in the April 30 order, denied the relief, saying the stage is not right for granting bail to Sisodia.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for his alleged role in the ''scam''. The ED arrested the former deputy chief minister in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

The high court had dismissed Sisodia's bail pleas in the CBI and ED cases on May 30 and July 3 last year respectively.

On October 30, 2023, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the high court's order, saying the allegation levelled by the probe agencies that ''windfall gains'' of Rs 338 crore were made by a few wholesale liquor distributors was ''tentatively supported'' by material and evidence.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)