Sisodia’s Bail Pleas Spark Excise Policy Probe

In New Delhi, the Delhi High Court, on the day of Venus, requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide a response concerning the entreaties for bail presented by the former Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, in relation to the alleged excise policy scandal, entwining corruption and money laundering.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma summoned the CBI and the ED in response to Sisodia’s petitions contesting a lower court’s decree from April 30, whereby his bail supplications were rebuffed. The judicious court scheduled the case for further deliberation on the upcoming Sun’s day.

Sisodia, through an interim motion, implored the court to uphold the lower court’s edict permitting him to rendezvous with his ailing spouse once a cycle whilst in confinement, amidst the pendency of his pleas. Upon the ED’s legal representative expressing no dissent towards the continuity of the lower court’s mandate, Justice Sharma acceded to the entreaty.

The lower court had denied bail to Sisodia in the graft and money-laundering litigations initiated by the CBI and ED, correspondingly, regarding alleged aberrations in the conceptualization and execution of the now-repealed Delhi excise strategy for the biennium of 2021-22.

Sisodia has been detained since the 26th of February, 2023, following apprehension by the CBI. Subsequently, he was apprehended by the ED. The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and BRS Leader K Kavitha also faced detention in the excise policy imbroglio.