Delhi court seeks ED, CBI response on Manish Sisodia's plea seeking interim bail

A Delhi court has sought responses from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on AAP leader and former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia's plea seeking interim bail.

The court fixed the hearing in the case on April 20.

Manish Sisodia moved a court in Delhi on Friday, seeking interim bail to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.

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Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the regular bail plea of Sisodia. The agency had said that there was no delay on the part of the prosecution. Rather, the delay was caused by the accused persons by filing frivolous applications in the Delhi Excise Policy case, according to the ED, news agency ANI reported.

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Sisodia had argued that trial proceedings are going at a snail's pace.

Sisodia was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case on March 9, 2023. Earlier, he was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for his alleged role in the case.

The CBI, as well as the Enforcement Directorate, alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi excise policy. The central agencies alleged undue favours were extended to the licence holders, licence fee was waived or reduced, and licences were extended without the competent authority's approval.

Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet as the deputy chief minister of Delhi on February 28 last year.  His judicial custody was extended till April 18.

Apart from Sisodia, the Enforcement Directorate has arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K Kavitha in the same case. While Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody till April 15, Kavitha was also arrested by the CBI in the case on Thursday.