Excise Policy Case: SC Judge Recuses From Hearing Manish Sisodia’s Bail Plea Revival

The Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar recused himself from hearing AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s pleas to revive his bail petitions in the excise policy scam cases.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Karol, and Sanjay Kumar announced that another bench, excluding Justice Kumar, will take up Sisodia’s pleas. Justice Khanna stated, “Our brother has some difficulty. He will not like to hear this matter for personal reasons.”

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, urged the bench to expedite the matter, emphasizing that the trial has not yet commenced. The bench scheduled another hearing for July 15.

On June 4, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain Sisodia’s bail pleas in cases filed by the CBI and the ED regarding the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. Sisodia had previously challenged the Delhi High Court’s May 21 verdict, which dismissed his bail pleas in these cases.

The AAP leader had also contested a trial court’s April 30 order that rejected his bail applications related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. On October 30 last year, the Supreme Court denied him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases, citing evidence of “windfall gains” of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the liquor policy case. The ED subsequently arrested him on March 9, 2023, in the money laundering case related to the CBI FIR. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

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