Manish Sisodia to remain in jail as Delhi court rejects bail plea in CBI case

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is set to remain in jail after the Rouse Avenue Court dismissed his bail plea on Friday. The senior AAP leader had been arrested by the CBI earlier this year in connection with alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the state's now scrapped excise policy. 

Last week the court had reserved its order on the bail plea after the CBI submitted brief written submissions and relevant judgements. The probe agency had also submitted case dairy detail and several statements of witnesses in the matter. Sisodia is presently in judicial custody and slated to be produced before the court on April 3. 

"If he is granted bail this will scuttle and compromise our investigation as the influence and interference are writ large," the CBI had said. 

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The agency also claimed that Sisodia had destroyed phones in order to "destroy the chat".

“He might not be at a flight risk, but he is a definite risk who will destroy evidence, this cannot be ignored,” the CBI added while opposing the bail plea.

Meanwhile, the court has adjourned the hearing for a second bail plea - in connection with the ED's money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy - till April 5. His counsel had sought more time to prepare a detailed response to ED's submission on the bail plea.

Sisodia has been arrested by CBI and ED in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy. He had been lodged in Tihar jail following his arrest by the CBI on February 26. The ED arrested the former Delhi deputy chief minister on March 9.

(With inputs from agencies)