Delhi excise ‘scam’: Apex court to hear Sisodia’s bail pleas today

New Delhi, July 28

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s bail pleas in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’.

Sisodia has sought bail, contending that he had been in custody for 16 months and the trial against him had not made any progress since October 2023. His pleas are listed for hearing before a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai on July 29.

The Supreme Court had on July 16 asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond Sisodia’s petitions seeking bail in the cases. Issuing notice to the probe agencies on the senior AAP leader’s petitions, a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai had posted the matter for hearing on July 29. Sisodia — who has been denied bail by the top court in the past — has sought to revive his petitions.

He was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for his alleged role in the ‘scam’ and he resigned from the Delhi Cabinet two days later. The ED arrested him in a money-laundering case related to the scam on March 9, 2023 after questioning him in the Tihar Jail.

Holding that the possibility of evidence-tampering by him could not be ruled out, the Delhi High Court had on May 21 dismissed Sisodia’s bail pleas. He challenged the high court’s order, but the Supreme Court on June 4 refused to entertain his bail pleas in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and the ED.