Delhi Excise Policy Case: Sisodia To Remain In Jail As Court Reserves Order On Bail Plea

Manish Sisodia had been arrested by the CBI earlier this year in connection with alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the state's now-scrapped excise policy. 

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is set to remain in jail after the Rouse Avenue Court reserved his bail plea on Tuesday, reported news agency ANI. The senior AAP leader had been arrested by the CBI earlier this year in connection with alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the state's now-scrapped excise policy. On April 26 at 4 p.m., Rouse Avenue Courts' special judge MK Nagpal will issue the order, according to ANI.

A Delhi court on Monday modified its order related to former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's judicial custody in ED and CBI in connection with the liquor scam case. The court has now extended Sisodia's judicial custody till April 27 in the CBI case and April 29 in the ED case.

The court had earlier extended Sisodia's custody till May 1 in both CBI and ED cases.

Court also noted the submissions of ED counsel that the agency is going to file a chargesheet (Prosecution Complaint) by the end of this month.

CBI is probing corruption charges, while the ED is probing the money laundering angle in the now-scrapped excise policy case.

Sisodia headed the excise department, which is accused of committing irregularities while formulating and implementing a new liquor policy under which some vendors were allegedly favoured.

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. The policy was later scrapped.

He was subsequently placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate as well on March 9 in a money laundering case related to the same case. The matter later reached the Supreme Court, where Sisodia challenged his arrest. However, the top court refused to entertain his plea and asked him to approach the Delhi High Court first. Hours after the decision, Sisodia resigned as minister from the Delhi Cabinet. 

CBI on Sunday also summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, where he was questioned for around 9 hours as a witness in connection with the liquor policy case.

"The CBI asked me a total of 56 questions. CBI questioning was conducted for 9.5 hours. I answered all the questions. The entire alleged liquor scam is false and bad politics. AAP is 'kattar imaandaar party'. They want to finish AAP but the country's people are with us," said CM Kejriwal.