Delhi excise policy case: SC defers hearing on bail pleas of Manish Sisodia to 4 October

The Supreme Court on 15 September adjourned hearing to October 4 on the bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in two Delhi excise policy cases being probed by the CBI and ED.

A bench headed by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti adjourned the matter after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, submitted that he needs two to three hours to argue the matter.

"Although I am in jail. We (both sides) have agreed. The hearing will take 2-3 hours at least on my side. This matter requires urgent attention," Singhvi said as reported by PTI. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju agreed to his submission.

Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia also alleged that whenever this case or Satyendar Jain's case comes up, there is a newspaper article on the merits of the case. The bench said it has not read newspapers and added, "We have to get used to that".

Earlier on July 14, the top court had sought responses of the CBI and the ED on the interim bail pleas of Sisodia in the cases.  

Sisodia, who held the excise portfolio among the many that he handled as the deputy chief minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 26 February this year for his alleged role in the “scam” and has been in custody since then.

The ED arrested him in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in Tihar Jail. He had resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28.

The high court had denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a "high-profile" person who has the potential to influence the witnesses.

On July 3, the high court had declined him bail in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, holding that the charges against him are "very serious in nature".

According to the two federal investigative agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders. The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

(With inputs from PTI)