CJI Led Bench Today (July 8th) said it would consider listing of a fresh petition of AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by which his bail plea has been sought to be revived in the excise policy scam cases. On June 4, the top court had refused to entertain the bail pleas of Sisodia in cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
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NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Supreme Court announced it would consider listing a new petition filed by AAP leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, seeking the revival of his bail plea in the excise policy scam cases.
Previously, on June 4, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Sisodia’s bail pleas in cases initiated by the CBI and the ED related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
Sisodia’s counsel, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, mentioned that an application had been filed to revive a previously dismissed petition seeking bail.
The petition indicated that the law officer representing the investigative agencies had informed the bench that the charge sheet and prosecution complaint in the main excise policy scam case, along with the related money laundering matter, would be filed on or before July 3, 2024.
“In the Manish Sisodia matter, he has been in jail for 16 months. The court said the trial must conclude, it hasn’t started. I filed the special leave petition (SLP), they gave liberty to revive after July 3. The court gave liberty to list…,”
-Singhvi said.
“Have you mailed… I will look into it,”
-the Chief Justice of India (CJI) responded.
On June 4, while denying bail, the bench had noted that Sisodia could revive his petitions for bail once the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet in the cases involving alleged corruption and money laundering. The ED’s equivalent of a charge sheet is known as a prosecution complaint.
The Supreme Court had previously, on October 30 of the last year, dismissed Sisodia’s regular bail pleas in these cases.
However, it granted him the liberty to seek relief from the courts if there were changes in circumstances or if the trial became unduly prolonged.
A vacation bench consisting of Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta had noted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s submissions, representing the ED and the CBI, that the central probe agencies would file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet by July 3.
“In light of the said submissions made and having regard to the fact that the period of ‘6-8 months’ fixed by this court by order dated October 30, 2023 having not come to an end, it would suffice to dispose of these petitions with liberty to the petitioner to revive his prayer afresh after filing of the final complaint/charge-sheet as assured by Solicitor General,”
-the bench had stated in its order.
It further added that any subsequent bail application would be considered on its own merits as per the October 30, 2023 order.
“Contentions of both parties kept open. Accordingly, these petitions stand disposed of,”
-the bench had declared.
Solicitor General Mehta assured the court that the list of prosecution witnesses would be reduced to ensure a swift trial conclusion.
Sisodia had earlier approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s May 21 verdict, which had dismissed his bail pleas in the cases investigated by the two central agencies.
The AAP leader had contested the high court’s decision, which had previously rejected his bail applications on April 30 in cases related to alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-revoked Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.
On October 30 last year, the Supreme Court had denied him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases tied to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, citing that the accusation of “windfall gains” of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers was “tentatively supported” by evidence.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the liquor policy case. Subsequently, the ED arrested him on March 9, 2023, in connection with the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
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