The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the CBI on the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia challenging a trial court order denying him bail in the Delhi excise policy case, reported ANI. The high court has sought the response of CBI on the plea and listed the matter for April 20 for the next hearing. Sisodia had moved a plea in the High Court challenging the trial court order denying bail to him in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi liquor policy.
A Delhi special court on Friday dismissed the bail petition of the AAP leader saying Sisodia’s release might adversely impact the ongoing investigation and “seriously hamper” its progress.
“The applicant had played the most important and vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy to ensure the achievement of objectives of the said conspiracy…Thus, as per allegations made by the prosecution and the evidence collected in support thereof so far, the applicant can prima facie be held to be the architect of the said criminal conspiracy,” CBI Judge MK Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court had said.
“…This court is not inclined to release the applicant on bail at this stage of investigation of the case as his release may adversely affect the ongoing investigation and will also seriously hamper the progress thereof. Therefore, this bail application filed on behalf of the applicant is being dismissed,” he added.
It is to be noted that CBI arrested Manish Sisodia on February 26 on charges of corruption in Delhi’s new liquor policy. The central agency alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it. The policy was later scrapped.
Earlier on April 5, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of the AAP leader till April 17 in connection to ED’s money laundering case, news agency ANI reported.
The agency moved an application seeking an extension of judicial custody, saying the investigation is at a crucial stage.