sc-asks-cbi-and-ed-to-respond-on-manish-sisodia-bail-plea

The Supreme Court has asked the CBI and ED to respond to AAP leader Manish Sisodia's bail pleas in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Sisodia, who was the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, has been in custody for 16 months and is seeking bail, arguing that the trial is at the same stage as it was in October last year.

 

A bench led by Justice B R Gavai, along with Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan, has agreed to hear Sisodia's pleas and has issued a notice returnable on July 29. Advocate Vivek Jain, representing Sisodia, highlighted the prolonged duration of his custody and the lack of progress in the trial, which prompted the court to seek responses from the CBI and ED.

 

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the liquor policy case, and subsequently, the ED arrested him on March 9 last year in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28 last year.

 

The matter involves allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which has since been scrapped. The Supreme Court judge, Sanjay Kumar, had recused himself from hearing Sisodia's pleas on July 11, leading to the formation of a new bench to address the case.

 

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, requested an urgent listing of the matter, emphasising that the trial has not yet commenced in both cases. On July 8, the Supreme Court agreed to list Sisodia's pleas after Singhvi mentioned that an application had been filed for the revival of a previously disposed petition seeking bail.

 

The plea highlighted that the probe agencies had assured the top court on June 4 that the charge sheet and prosecution complaint in the main excise policy case and the linked money laundering matter would be filed by July 3. However, the apex court had refused to entertain the bail pleas on June 4, stating that Sisodia could revive his petitions after the final prosecution complaint and charge sheet were filed.

 

The Supreme Court had disposed of Sisodia's petitions with the liberty to revive his prayer afresh after the filing of the final complaint and charge sheet. The court had noted that Sisodia could approach the courts for relief if there was a change in circumstances or if the trial was protracted.

 

Sisodia had earlier moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court's May 21 verdict that dismissed his bail pleas in cases investigated by the CBI and ED. He had also challenged a trial court's April 30 order rejecting his bail applications related to alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

 

On October 30 last year, the top court denied him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases, citing evidence that supported the accusations of "windfall gains" of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers. The court had given him the liberty to seek bail again if there were changes in circumstances or if the trial became protracted.