Excise policy cases: SC refuses to entertain Manish Sisodia's bail pleas

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain the bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

The apex court, however, said Sisodia can revive his petitions for bail after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet, respectively, in the cases involving alleged corruption and money laundering.

A prosecution complaint is the ED's equivalent of a charge sheet.

A vacation bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta noted the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED and the CBI, that the central probe agencies would file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet by July 3.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, sought bail for him, saying trial in these cases have not yet started despite the politician being in custody for nearly 15 months. He said the trial is unlikely to commence in the near future as investigations are still going on.
 

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sisodia had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's May 21 verdict which dismissed his bail pleas in the cases probed by the two central agencies.

In a major setback to Delhi's former deputy chief minister, the high court had dismissed his bail applications, saying the matter involved grave misuse of power and breach of public trust by him.

Sisodia had challenged in the high court a trial court's April 30 order by which it had rejected his bail applications in the cases involving alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the liquor policy case. The ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.