Satya Prakash

New Delhi, July 29

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the CBI and the ED to respond to senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia's bail pleas in corruption and money-laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy 'scam' by Thursday and posted the matter for August 5.

A Bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan deferred the hearing to next Monday after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought time to file response on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

As Raju said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had already filed its response, Justice Gavai pointed out that it had not come on the court's record. It also allowed Sisodia to file his rejoinder affidavit/s, if any, by Saturday.

The ASG questioned the maintainability of Sisodia's new petitions, saying the June 4 order of the Supreme Court only enabled the former Delhi deputy chief minister to file fresh bail pleas in the trial court and not in the top court.

Taking exception to Raju's submissions, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, termed it as "very unfortunate".

The Bench, however, said the June 4 order gave liberty to Sisodia to revive his bail applications once the CBI/ED filed the chargesheet/prosecution complaint.

As the Bench pointed out that the period of six-eight months fixed by the top court for completion of the trial in its October 30, 2023 order was already over, Raju said the delay was attributable to the accused.

The matter relates to alleged corruption and money-laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 which now stands scrapped.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 for his alleged role in the 'scam' and he resigned from the Delhi cabinet two days later. The ED arrested him in a money-laundering case related to the scam on March 9, 2023 after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

The former Delhi Deputy CM ndash; who has been denied bail by the top court in the past ndash; has sought to revive his petitions in the excise policy scam-related corruption and money-laundering cases. He has sought bail contending that he has been in custody for 16 months and the trial against him has not made any progress since October 2023.

Holding that the possibility of evidence-tampering by him can't be ruled out, the Delhi High Court had on May 21 dismissed Sisodia's bail pleas.

Sisodia challenged the high court's order but the Supreme Court on June 4 refused to entertain his bail pleas in corruption and money- laundering cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in connection with the excise policy scam.

During the June 4 hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said that the chargesheet/prosecution complaint in the liquor policy case would be filed on or before July 3, 2024 and the top court had granted Sisodia liberty to revive his prayers for bail after the filing of the final complaint/chargesheet.