The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s pleas seeking bail in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged against him by the agencies in relation to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Mr. Sisodia, who has been in custody since February last year, had challenged a trial court’s order which had dismissed his bail petitions. The high court will next hear the matter on May 8.
The court, however, allowed Mr. Sisodia’s request to meet his ailing wife once a week while in custody during the pendency of his bail petitions. According to his counsel, an application had been filed seeking interim relief for the same. After the ED’s counsel submitted that the agency has no objection if the trial court order continues, the court allowed the request.
The ED case, which is based on a chargesheet filed by the CBI, alleges irregularities were committed while modifying the 2020-21 Delhi excise policy, with undue favours extended to license holders.
The CBI had arrested Mr. Sisodia for alleged corruption in the liquor policy on February 26 last year following several rounds of questioning. He resigned from the Delhi Cabinet soon after, on February 28. He was subsequently arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the liquor policy on March 9, 2023.
Mr. Sisodia’s bail pleas in the CBI and ED cases have been previously rejected by the high court on May 30 and July 3 last year. On October 30, 2023, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the high court’s order, saying the allegations levelled against the senior Aam Aadmi Party leader by the agencies regarding “windfall gains” of ₹338 crore made by a few wholesale liquor distributors were “tentatively supported” by evidence.
