Delhi Excise Policy: SC Adjourns Manish Sisodia’a Bail Hearing to Aug 5

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned until August 5 on AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s bail petition, which challenges the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his bail plea in the excise policy case.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju requested time on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a reply.

The court granted time until Thursday (Aug 1) for the central probe agency to submit its reply.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in the meantime, informed the Apex Court that its reply had been filed but was not yet on record.

Following this, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan adjourned the matter.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju raised preliminary objections, asserting that this was the second special leave petition challenging the same order and that the same order could not be challenged again. Senior Advocate AM Singhvi objected to ASG’s submission.

Delhi’s former Deputy CM has approached the Supreme Court seeking the revival of his bail plea and has complained about the delay in the commencement of the trial in the excise policy case.

Earlier, Senior Advocate Singhvi informed the top court about the June 4 order, wherein the probe agency stated that the investigation into the excise policy case would be concluded and the final charge sheet would be filed expeditiously, and at any rate, by July 3, 2024. Thereafter, the trial court would be free to proceed with the trial.

The Apex Court, on June 4, granted Sisodia the liberty to revive his application afresh after the filing of the final charge sheet. The AAP leader is now seeking to revive his challenge against the Delhi High Court’s order that dismissed his bail plea.

On the same day, the apex court had disposed of Sisodia’s plea after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the investigation would be concluded and the final charge sheet would be filed expeditiously, by July 3, 2024, and that the trial court would then be able to proceed with the trial.

Sisodia now seeks to revive his application challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 order. In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of Delhi’s now-scrapped new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody.

As per the CBI, Sisodia played a crucial role in the criminal conspiracy and was deeply involved in both the formulation and implementation of the policy to achieve the objectives of the conspiracy.

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