The Supreme Court has rejected the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, in a case related to an alleged excise policy scam. Sisodia, who has been in custody since his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, had sought bail, but the court turned down his request.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti heard the bail pleas and directed that the trial procedure in the case should be concluded within six to eight months. The Supreme Court also stated that if the trial progresses slowly, Sisodia can reapply for bail at a later stage.
Earlier, the court had raised questions regarding the alleged bribe paid to influence the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, stating that if it is not part of the predicate offense, it would be challenging to prove a money laundering case against Sisodia.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had taken Sisodia into custody in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI’s FIR. The High Court had previously denied him bail, citing the serious nature of the charges. The Supreme Court also emphasized Sisodia’s high-profile status and potential influence on witnesses, which factored into their decision to reject his bail plea.
