Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Friday refused bail to Delhi’s former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the corruption case filed by CBI related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal passed the order. On March 24, the judge reserved the bail plea for a decision.
Sisodia and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members have been accused of granting liquor licenses to certain traders in return for bribes.
The ED and CBI opened investigations into the alleged scam after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena suggested a CBI inquiry based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary. According to the report, the Deputy CM violated statutory provisions by notifying a policy with significant financial consequences.
Although Sisodia was not included in the CBI’s chargesheet, the investigation remained open against him and some others.
The AAP has denied the claims, claiming Sisodia is innocent.
According to Sisodia, the policy and the adjustments made to it were authorized by the LG, and the CBI is now investigating policy decisions taken by an elected government.
Sisodia was detained by the CBI on February 26 after a nearly eight-hour interrogation.
On February 27, a Delhi judge remanded Sisodia to the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) until March 4 in the case after he was arrested. He was detained by the CBI until March 6 and was then taken into judicial custody.
He was later arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the same scam and was remanded to ED detention for a week on March 10. On March 17, the judge extended his detention for another five days.
When Sisodia contested his arrest, the case made its way to the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal and asked him to first approach the Delhi High Court. Sisodia then applied for bail before the Rouse Avenue Court on March 3.
