Delhi Excise Policy: Special Court Likely To Pass Order On Manish Sisodia's Bail Plea In ED Case

The federal agency had stated that it had discovered new evidence of his involvement in the alleged crime.

New Delhi: The bail application of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case connected to the alleged excise policy scam is likely to be decided on Friday by a court in New Delhi, according to PTI. Special Judge M K Nagpal had reserved the order after hearing arguments on Sisodia's plea seeking relief claiming that his custody was no longer required for investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the application, claiming that the senior AAP leader had planted fabricated emails to demonstrate public support for the policy and that the investigation was at a "crucial" stage.

Additionally, the federal agency had stated that it had discovered new evidence of his involvement in the alleged crime.

In a corruption case that is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the court had on March 31 rejected Sisodia's bail application, stating that he was "prima facie the architect" of the criminal conspiracy behind the alleged payment of advance kickbacks of approximately Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The CBI on Wednesday opposed the bail plea moved by Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in Delhi High Court and said that the AAP leader "misused" his official position and dishonestly introduced changes to the Excise Policy under the influence of the South Group, through his close associate Vijay Nair. 

The court noted that Sisodia's immediate release would "adversely affect the ongoing investigation."

Sisodia was detained by the CBI and the ED for allegedly engaging in money laundering and engaging in corruption during the creation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Manish Sisodia on February 26 on charges of corruption in Delhi's new liquor policy. The CBI alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers, who had allegedly paid bribes for it. The charge was strongly refuted by the AAP.