Delhi Excise Policy: Court Reserves Order on Bail Pleas of Manish Sisodia

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday reserved its order on the bail pleas of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in corruption and money laundering cases, filed by the CBI and the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy case.

The Judgment Day

Special judge Kaveri Baweja, presiding over the CBI and ED matters, reserved the order for April 30 after hearing arguments from both the central probe agencies and Sisodia’s counsel.

Sisodia, who had also filed interim bail pleas in both cases to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, saw his counsel informing the court today that the interim plea has become void as the regular bail plea is under consideration.

Central Probe Agencies

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have accused Sisodia of involvement in irregularities during the modification of the Delhi Excise Policy, alleging undue favors to license holders, waiver or reduction of license fees, and extension of licenses without proper authorization.

The agencies further allege that the beneficiaries diverted illicit gains to the accused officials and falsified entries in their financial records to avoid detection. Sisodia was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, in connection with the “scam,” while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested the former deputy chief minister on March 9, 2023, in a money laundering case linked to the CBI FIR. Sisodia tendered his resignation from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

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