Manish Sisodia's Bail: SC Issues Notice To ED, Next Hearing On July 29

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice in former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's bail petition in Delhi Liquor policy case

Advocate Vivek Jain appearing for Sisodia, told the top court that he has been inside jail for 16 months.

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice in former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's bail petition in Delhi Liquor policy case. The matter has now been listed for July 29. 

Manish Sisodia's bail plea in liquor policy case was re-listed before a new bench of the Supreme Court today, following recusal of Justice Sanjiv Kumar last week.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Sanjay Karol and KV Viswanathan heard the matter today and issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate.

Advocate Vivek Jain appearing for Sisodia, told the top court that he has been inside jail for 16 months.

"There was no fault found with me. Trial is at same stage it was in October 2023 when I was given liberty," Jain told the bench. The Suprme Court in October 2023, while rejecting bail petition moved by Sisodia, said that he can move the top court again if the trial proceeds at snails pace. 

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking bail over delay in the commencement of the trial in the Delhi Liquor Policy case.

The Delhi High Court on May 22 rejected the bail plea moved by Manish Sisodia in the ED and CBI cases in the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam. The high court while rejecting his bail plea observed that Sisodia fabricated and manufactured public opinion to suit his goal and subverted the process of making the excise policy by deviating from the expert committee report constituted by him. The court made scathing observations and said that Sisodia betrayed betrayed democratic principles by breaking public's trust.

The court took a view that Sisodia breached the public's trust and misused his powers as the Minister in the Delhi government in drafting of the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy. 

A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of high court while pronouncing the verdict said that the high court can apply its own mind to decide the bail on merits in addition to the condition of "delay in trial" imposed by the Supreme Court's order in October 2023.

While pronouncing the verdict the high court also took a prima facie view and said that Sisodia manufactured and fabricated feedback from the public to draft the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy which was actually intended to benefit members of the south group. The bench also observed that he misused his powers as the Delhi Minister to manipulate the policy as he wished. 

The high court termed Sisodia's actions in framing Delhi Liquor Policy a great betrayal of democratic principles.

The court rejected the bail plea and said that the ED and CBI have made a prima facie case of money laundering against him.