Breaking: No Relief For AAP's Manish Sisodia, Delhi Court Rejects Second Regular Bail Plea In Excise Policy Case

NEW DELHI: In a big setback for jailed former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party leader Manish Sisodia, Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday dismissed his second regular bail application in connection with the alleged money laundering probe against him linked to the Excise policy case. Rouse Avenue Court's Special judge Kaveri Baweja denied bail to Sisodia after reserving the verdict in his bail pleas on April 20. 

According to news agency ANI, Sisodia's bail was strongly opposed by both CBI and ED. While opposing Sisodia’s bail plea, the ED argued that the continuation of the excise policy would have made consumers pay hundreds of crores annually. The central agency has also earlier stated that the excise policy would not have been possible without Sisodia. ED's counsel Zoheb Hossain blamed Sisodia for the delay, claiming that they had moved a large number of applications before the court.

Delhi | Rouse Avenue court dismisses the second regular bail application of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Delhi Excise policy case. His bail was opposed by both CBI and ED.

He had sought bail on the ground of delay in the trial. His earlier bail application was also dismissed by…

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2024

Sisodia had sought bail on the grounds of delay in the trial. His earlier bail application was also dismissed by the court last year. The AAP leader has been in custody since February 2023. He will now approach the Delhi High Court after Rouse Avenue court dismissed his second regular bail application in the Delhi Excise policy case.

The AAP leader has been denied bail by the trial court, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in both ED and CBI cases. The Supreme Court had also dismissed Sisodia's review petitions against the denial of bail. His curative petitions have also been dismissed.

The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating the money laundering allegations linked to the excise policy case, has not yet framed charges against the AAP leader. The ED had earlier informed the apex court that it would complete the trial within six to eight months. 

Sisodia has been accused of playing a key role in framing the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, tweaking it for the benefit of particular liquor entities and causing a loss of several hundred crores to the state exchequer. Sisodia was first arrested by the CBI in February 2023, and then by the ED in March that year. 

In the ED chargesheet, Sisodia has been named as a “key conspirator” in the case, following which he resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.