New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear the pleas of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia challenging the Delhi High Court verdict rejecting his bail pleas in cases lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam.
A vacation bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta will hear the pleas tomorrow, June 3.
Last week, the Delhi High Court dismissed Sisodia’s bail petitions in money laundering and corruption cases filed by the ED and the CBI, respectively, in connection with the excise policy for 2021-22.
High Court judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while rejecting bail pleas of Sisodia, said he has “not been able to make out a case for grant of bail”.
“The case at hand is a grave misuse of power and breach of public trust by the applicant, who was serving as Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi at the relevant point,” it stated.
Sisodia allegedly indulged in the destruction of crucial evidence, including electronic evidence, the High Court verdict had said, adding that he was a very powerful and influential person within the corridors of power of the Delhi government.
The High Court had said that as a Minister with 18 portfolios, including the Department of Excise, Sisodia was entrusted with the formulation of a new liquor policy for Delhi.
The material collected during the investigation showed that Sisodia prima facie subverted the process of framing the excise policy by fabricating public feedback to suit his predetermined goal, according to the judgement.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the “scam,” and the ED arrested him in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.
According to the probe agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.
The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
Sisodia had resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.