E-Paper
Delhi court gives time to CBI, ED to respond to Sisodia plea
Sisodia, who was arrested by CBI on February 26, 2023, was the first high-profile leader to be held in the case
A Delhi court on Friday granted time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file replies to an interim bail application moved by former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the case related to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy 2021-22.
Sisodia had approached the court seeking interim bail till the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections so that he could campaign in the upcoming elections. CBI as well as ED sought time to file replies to the application. Special judge Kaveri Baweja has now listed the matter for further hearing on April 20.
Sisodia, who was arrested by CBI on February 26, 2023, was the first high-profile leader to be held in the case. He was later arrested by ED on March 9, 2023, while he was in judicial custody.
Sisodia had earlier moved a bail application before the court in the ED case, which was dismissed on April 28, 2023, while his bail application in the CBI case was dismissed on March 31, 2023.
He then approached the Delhi high court challenging the orders of the trial court, but his bail application in the ED case was dismissed on July 3, 2023, and his bail application in the CBI case on May 30, 2023.
He had then approached the Supreme Court. While dismissing his bail application, the apex court granted him liberty to file a fresh bail application. He also moved a review petition and curative petition against the Supreme Court order, but both petitions were dismissed.
He again approached Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court in January, seeking bail for the second time on the grounds that he has been detained for over 11 months and has not been implicated in the alleged offence as the agency has failed to establish any financial gain or undue advantage obtained by him.
Sisodia also highlighted that there has been a lack of progress in the trial despite more than three months having passed since his bail was denied by the Supreme Court on October 30, 2023. His bail applications are currently pending before the court.
