The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday denied to entertain the bail pleas of Aam Aadmi Part (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
The top court, however, stated that the AAP leader can revive his petitions once the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet in the cases involving alleged corruption and money laundering.
A prosecution complaint is the ED’s equivalent to a charge sheet.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta took note of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s submissions, representing the ED and the CBI, that the central probe agencies would file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet by July 3, 2024.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, requested bail on his behalf, claiming that the trial in these cases has yet to begin despite the politician’s being in custody for nearly 15 months. He stated that the trial will most likely not begin soon because investigations are ongoing.
The AAP leader had moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 decision, which dismissed his bail pleas in the cases investigated by the two central agencies.
In a major setback for Delhi’s former deputy chief minister, the high court denied his bail applications, citing grave abuse of power and breach of public trust by him.
Sisodia had challenged in the high court a trial court’s April 30 order rejecting his bail applications in cases involving alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-defunct Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for alleged involvement in the liquor policy case. On March 9, 2023, the ED arrested him in connection with the money laundering case based on the CBI FIR.
He resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on February 28, 2023.
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