Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has dismissed the second bail application filed by former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the now-defunct Delhi liquor excise policy for 2021-22.
The decision was made after special judge Kaveri Baweja heard arguments from both the central agencies and Sisodia’s legal counsel. The court had reserved the order on April 20 and announced the dismissal on Tuesday.
Sisodia had sought bail to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The CBI and ED alleged irregularities in the modification of the Delhi Excise Policy, including extending undue favors to license holders, waiving or reducing license fees, and extending licenses without proper approvals. The probe agencies claimed that illegal gains were diverted to the accused officials and false entries were made in financial records to evade detection.
The former deputy chief minister was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, as part of the investigation into the alleged scam. Subsequently, the ED also arrested him on March 9, 2023, in a money-laundering case related to the CBI’s FIR. Sisodia resigned from his cabinet position on February 28, 2023.
Meanwhile, Sisodia’s superior, Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested on March 21 for failing to appear before the ED despite nine summonses issued in the same case. He is currently in judicial custody until May 7.
In a related development, Kejriwal informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that his non-appearance before the ED and alleged non-cooperation should not be grounds for his arrest. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, argued that the central agency lacks sufficient evidence to justify his detention.
Sources By Agencies