AGENCIES
Supreme Court today rejected the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with Delhi excise scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, which had reserved the verdict on October 17, pronounced the order today.
The matter pertains to corruption and money-laundering cases related to the now scrapped excise policy for the national capital. Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged role in the scam. He has been in custody since then. The ED arrested Mr Sisodia in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in the Tihar jail. Mr Sisodia resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28.
Delhi High Court denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a high-profile person who has the potential to influence the witnesses. On July 3, the high court declined him bail in the money-laundering case linked to the city government’s excise policy, holding that the charges against him are very serious in nature.
Delhi government had implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.