The High Court of Delhi on Wednesday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the interim bail petition filed by former Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, arrested for his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise policy scam case.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, while directing the national agency to file its response by tomorrow, also listed the interim bail plea of Sisodia for hearing on Thursday.
Sisodia had moved the High Court seeking interim bail on the grounds of illness of his wife. His petition seeking regular bail in the case is also listed for hearing tomorrow.
Earlier on April 28, Special CBI Judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court had refused to grant bail to Sisodia in a case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for his alleged involvement in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2020-21.
CBI had filed a supplementary charge sheet in the court on April 25, officially naming for the first time, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi as an accused in the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
The national agency further named liquor businessman Amandeep Dhall, Hyderabad-based Chartered Accountant Butchi Babu Gorantla and alleged middleman Arjun Pandey as accused in the case.
After CBI filed the supplementary charge sheet, Special CBI judge M.K. Nagpal at Rouse Avenue Court posted the matter for arguments on May 12.
In addition to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the national agency has invoked Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 and 420 of IPC against Sisodia.
CBI stated in its charge sheet that the investigation was ongoing to probe the larger conspiracy and the role of other accused in the case. It had filed the first charge sheet in the case on November 25, 2022.
Earlier on April 20, Sisodia had apprised the Delhi High Court that CBI could not find any evidence of money trail linking him to the Excise Policy scam case of 2022.
CBI had arrested the AAP leader on February 26 after an interrogation of more than eight hours. He has since remained behind bars.
Both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED have filed cases against him under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) and the PMLA, respectively.
(Case title: Manish Sisodia vs CBI)