SC Issues Notice to ED, CBI in Sisodia’s Bail Plea

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The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to a bail plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia. Sisodia is implicated in the Delhi excise policy scam case. The bench, consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Bela M Trivedi, and Ujjal Bhuyan, also expressed concern over the medical condition of Sisodia’s wife and suggested he file an interim plea for medical bail.

During the hearing, Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, informed the Court that Sisodia’s wife’s medical condition could lead to mild paralysis.

Justice Khanna, however, noted that the medical condition cited by the petitioner is not “mild” but more serious.

Singhvi further elaborated,

“There is 50 percent disability… MRIs shows white plaque.”

The bench acknowledged the severity of the condition, stating,

“We are aware of it. It starts from legs and goes up.”

The Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 28, when it will consider interim directions. Sisodia is challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to deny him bail in the cases registered against him by the CBI and the ED. The Delhi High Court had denied bail to Sisodia in the ED case on July 3, and earlier, on May 30, it had rejected Sisodia’s bail plea in the CBI case related to the same scam.

The scam allegedly involves Delhi government officials colluding to grant liquor licenses to certain traders in exchange for bribes. The central agencies claim that the excise policy was manipulated and profit margins were altered to favor certain traders, with kickbacks received in return.

The CBI and ED registered cases related to the alleged scam following a recommendation for a CBI probe by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary. The report alleged that Sisodia violated statutory provisions and notified a policy with significant financial implications.

Although Sisodia was not initially named in the CBI’s chargesheet, the agency later filed an additional chargesheet naming him as an accused in the case. Sisodia maintains that the policy changes were approved by the LG and that the CBI is now targeting the policy decisions of an elected government. He asserts that no money has been traced back to him and that the agencies are re-evaluating a liquor policy that was formulated by the elected government and approved by the LG of Delhi