Delhi liquor scam: No relief for Manish Sisodia as court denies bail to AAP leader

In no relief to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, the Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Manish Sisodia in the Delhi liquor excise policy case. Notably, Sisodia is currently under judicial custody in the cases registered by the CBI and ED in connection to the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy.

Special Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the order in Sisodia's plea for bail in the CBI case. The court’s decision came after the CBI during the last hearing opposed Sisodia’s bail plea stating that the grant of bail to the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister will compromise and hamper the ongoing investigation in the case. 

#BREAKING | Delhi Special Court dismisses bail plea of Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in CBI case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.https://t.co/ge3J2OVybC pic.twitter.com/Pv0Zrop2OA

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Earlier on March 24, Special Judge MK Nagpal reserved the order in the liquor policy case lodged by the CBI and said that he would pronounce the verdict on March 31. "A brief written submission on behalf of CBI has been filed in opposition to the regular bail application of the accused. A copy thereof as well as case law has been given to the counsel of the accused. Copy of part of case diary and statements of some witnesses have been also made available," the special judge said.

Sisodia under ED custody till April 5

Following his arrest on February 26 in connection with the allegation of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy, Sisodia remained under CBI’s custody for seven days. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 from the Tihar jail, where he was lodged in connection with the case being probed by the CBI.

The AAP leader on March 22 was then sent to jail till April 5 after the ED produced him at the end of his custodial interrogation in the money laundering case linked to the capital's now-scrapped liquor sales policy.

Timeline of Sisodia's arrest 

AAP leader Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, in connection with alleged corruption in the now-withdrawn liquor policy of Delhi under IPC Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), IPC Section 477 (account falsification) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Initially, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court sent him to custody for five days on February 27. The timeline of Sisodia's arrest is as follows:

February 26: CBI arrests Sisodia after nearly eight hours of questioning.

February 27: Delhi's Rouse Avenue court sends Sisodia to five-day CBI custody. 

February 28: Manish Sisodia, along with jailed Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, resigned from the post of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his bail plea asking him to move the High Court.

March 4: Delhi court extends Sisodia's CBI custody for two days, till March 6.  

March 6: Rouse Avenue Court sent Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to judicial custody till March 20.

March 9: ED arrests Sisodia after questioning him for hours. 

March 18: Delhi court extends ED custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia by five days in a money laundering case related to the excise policy till March 22. 

March 22: Sisodia was sent to jail till April 5 after the ED produced him at the end of his custodial interrogation.