Delhi High Court Seeks Response Of ED, CBI To Manish Sisodia's Bail Pleas In Liquor Policy Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on the pleas filed by Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia seeking bail in the money laundering and corruption cases connected to the liquor policy case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought response of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and listed the matter for hearing next on May 08.

Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Sisodia. He said that an application has also been moved seeking that during the pendency of the bail pleas, the trial court order allowing Sisodia to meet his ailing wife once a week, be continued.

Special counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for ED and submitted that the probe agency has no objection if the trial court order is continued.

Sisodia has approached court challenging the trial court orders dismissing his second bail pleas in both CBI and ED cases on April 30.

While denying him bail in the money laundering case, the trial court rejected Sisodia's plea that the proceedings in the case have been delayed or that the case is proceedings at a snail's pace. It was also observed the so­ called delay is clearly on account of reasons attributable to the AAP leader himself.

Sisodia was denied bail by the trial court, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in both ED and CBI cases. The Supreme Court had also dismissed Sisodia's review petitions against the denial of bail. His curative petitions have also been dismissed.

The Apex Court, while dismissing his bail plea, had last year said that he can file a fresh bail plea before the trial court if the trial proceeds at a snail's pace.

Manish Sisodia was first arrested by CBI and ED on February 26 and March 9 last year respectively.

In the FIR registered by the CBI, Sisodia and others have been accused of being instrumental in 'recommending' and 'taking decisions' regarding the 2021-22 excise policy, “without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender”.

The central agency has also claimed that the AAP leader was arrested because he gave evasive replies and refused to cooperate with the investigation, despite being confronted with evidence.

On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12 percent to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers (GoM).

The agency has also claimed that there was a conspiracy that was coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group to give extraordinary profit margins to wholesalers. Nair was acting on behalf of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, according to the agency.

Sisodia's bail applications in both cases were rejected by Special Judge MK Nagpal (now transferred) on March 31 and April 28 last year. The Delhi High Court then denied bail to Sisodia in both cases after which he approached the Supreme Court challenging both these verdicts.

On October 30 last year, the Supreme Court refused to grant bail to the former Delhi deputy chief minister.

Title: Manish Sisodia v. ED, CBI