A Delhi court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia until July 22 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
Special Judge for CBI and ED Kaveri Baweja extended Sisodia’s custody after he was produced before the court via video conference upon the expiry of his judicial custody.
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In a subsequent development last Thursday, the Supreme Court deferred hearing on Sisodia’s bail plea after one of the judges on the bench recused himself. Justice Sanjay Kumar, part of the three-judge bench scheduled to hear Sisodia’s plea to restore his prayer for bail, recused himself from the case.
The apex court had denied bail to Sisodia on October 10, 2023. Though it raised doubts on some of the charges levelled against him by the ED, the court, however, said there is “material and evidence” which “tentatively” supports one of the charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 – that the 14 wholesale distributors had earned “excess profit” of Rs 338 crore in a period of about 10 months during which the new excise policy was in operation.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to the senior AAP leader, stating that he failed to pass the triple test for granting bail in the corruption case and the twin conditions required under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In March, the Supreme Court dismissed curative petitions filed by Sisodia against the dismissal of his review pleas regarding its 2023 verdict denying him bail in connection with the liquor policy case. In its judgment delivered on October 30, 2023, the top court denied bail to Sisodia but mentioned that if the trial proceeded slowly in the next three months, he could apply for bail afresh.
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Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court had on April 30 refused to grant bail to Sisodia, who was seeking regular bail a second time. The trial court noted that delays in the case proceedings were largely due to actions attributable to Sisodia himself, dismissing his claims of undue delay.
Sisodia was arrested last year by the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with the excise policy case.