Excise policy scam: Delhi HC set to pronounce order on Sisodia's bail plea

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to pass on Monday an order on the bail plea of AAP leader Manish Sisodia, arrested for his alleged role in the money laundering case relating to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy.

As per a cause list uploaded on the court's website this morning, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma will pronounce the order on Sisodia's bail plea at 2:30 PM.

Besides Sisodia, the high court will also pass orders on the bail pleas of businessmen Abhishek Boinpally, Benoy Babu and Vijay Nair, who are co-accused in the money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arising from the alleged scam.

Sisodia, former Delhi deputy chief minister and excise minister, was first arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the scam and has been in custody since then. The high court has already denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30.

He was arrested on March 9 in the case lodged by the ED and is currently in judicial custody.

The high court had on June 2 reserved its order on the bail plea of Sisodia, who has sought bail on various grounds, including the deteriorating health of his wife who is suffering from multiple sclerosis.

The ED has opposed the bail plea of Sisodia as well as of other accused persons.

According to the CBI and ED, which are probing the cases against Sisodia, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

Sisodia had challenged the March 31 order of the trial court which had dismissed his bail plea, saying he was prima facie the "architect" of the alleged scam and had played the "most important and vital role" in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

On May 30, the court had dismissed the bail plea of Sisodia in the excise policy scam being probed by the CBI, saying he is an influential person who could influence witnesses, who are mostly public servants, and the allegations against him are very serious in nature.