Excise Policy Case: In yet another disappointment for Manish Sisodia, the Supreme Court on Friday deferred hearing on the interim bail pleas of the AAP leader in two Delhi liquor policy cases being investigated by the CBI and ED, reported PTI. The court has now listed the pleas for hearing on September 4. As per the agency, Sisodia sought interim bail on grounds of his wife's ill health. According to PTI, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti thoroughly examined the medical records of Sisodia's wife, and said she is "fairly stable".
Hence, the bench said that it will consider the interim bail pleas of the former deputy chief minister along with regular bail pleas in the cases. Notably, the apex court on July 14, had asked for responses from the CBI and the ED on the interim bail pleas of Sisodia in their respective cases pertaining to Delhi excise policy.
Manish Sisodia held the excise portfolio among other areas that he handled when he was in the Delhi cabinet. He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 for his alleged involvement in the "scam". The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in a money laundering case derived from the CBI FIR on March 9. The leader has been in jail since Feb 26, when CBI arrested him
The AAP leaders then resigned from the cabinet on February 28.
He then moved the high court for bail in the CBI case on May 30, which was denied by the court. In the order, the court said he is a "high-profile" person who has the potential to influence the witnesses, reported PTI.
Then on July 3, the high court denied him bail in the ED case as well. Earlier on May 30, the high court had said that since Sisodia was at the "helm of affairs" when the alleged scam took place, he cannot deny his role.
The court noted that with AAP in power in Delhi and several witnesses being public servants, there is a chance that Sisodia can highly influence them and thus can affect the probe as well.
The controversial Delhi liquor policy was implemented on November 17, 2021, but later scrapped it at the end of September 2022.
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