A Delhi court has decided to prolong the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia, a prominent figure in the Aam Aadmi Party and former Deputy Chief Minister, until May 7. This extension pertains to his involvement in a money laundering case associated with an alleged excise policy scam being investigated by the CBI.
In a recent development, Sisodia opted to withdraw his interim bail application to focus on campaigning for his party ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
During the latest hearing at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, scheduled for April 30, the court deferred its decision on the regular bail petitions filed by Sisodia, who stands accused in the money laundering case linked to the purported excise policy irregularities.
Seeking relief, Sisodia has appealed for bail in both cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Representing Sisodia before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, his counsel, advocate Vivek Jain, highlighted the redundancy of the interim bail plea due to the pending decision on the regular bail petitions.
Present in court were Special counsel Zoheb Hossain and prosecutor Pankaj Gupta, representing the ED and CBI respectively. Gupta contested the bail pleas, arguing that Sisodia fails to meet the stringent criteria for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He emphasized Sisodia's perceived political influence and argued against granting him bail on grounds of parity.
The CBI portrayed Sisodia as the primary accused in the case and expressed concerns about potential tampering with evidence, particularly given the nascent stage of the investigation.
Furthermore, Gupta underscored Sisodia's lack of success in securing bail from higher courts, including the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Sisodia's bail application has remained pending since February, while his judicial custody in the ED's case was extended until April 26 in the previous instance.
During earlier proceedings, the ED asserted that Sisodia and other co-accused individuals were intentionally prolonging the trial.
In defense of Sisodia's bail plea, his counsel Mohit Mathur cited the example of another accused, Benoy Babu, who had been granted bail. Mathur argued that Sisodia's diminished influence, coupled with his adherence to the triple test for bail as outlined by the Supreme Court, warranted his release. He emphasized the necessity of a prompt trial and reiterated Sisodia's compliance with all bail conditions without any misuse of liberties, in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives.
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