New Delhi, April 20 : On Saturday, a court in New Delhi reserved its decision on the bail petitions of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in corruption and money laundering cases filed by the CBI and the ED, related to the alleged Delhi excise policy case.
Special judge for CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, postponed the decision to April 30 after hearing arguments from the central probe agencies and Sisodia’s legal representatives.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had also filed interim bail petitions in both cases to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, Sisodia’s counsel informed the court today that the interim bail plea has become moot as the regular bail plea is under consideration.
Both the CBI and the ED have accused Sisodia of involvement in irregularities during the modification of the Delhi Excise Policy. They allege that undue favors were granted to license holders, license fees were waived or reduced, and licenses were extended without proper authorization.
According to the probe agencies, the beneficiaries diverted illicit gains to the accused officials and falsified entries in their financial records to avoid detection.
Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for his purported role in the “scam.” Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended the former deputy chief minister in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI’s FIR on March 9, 2023.
Sisodia tendered his resignation from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
