Denied bail several times, SC rap to agencies, custody parole: A year since arrest, how legal battle has played out for Manish Sisodia
In March 2023, the CBI registered an FIR against seven people, including Sisodia, under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with a snooping case related to the ruling AAP’s alleged “Feedback Unit”. Besides, there are three defamation cases against Sisodia.
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Exactly a year ago, on February 26, 2023, Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI, and by the ED a month later, in the Excise Policy case.
While the CBI is examining the criminal aspect of the case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing the alleged money laundering angle. As the senior AAP leader completes a year behind bars, The Indian Express takes a look at the status of the cases against him:
Rouse Avenue Court: Bail denied in 2 cases
Special Judge MK Nagpal first dismissed Sisodia’s bail application in the CBI case in March last year. In April, the court denied him bail in the ED case.
Delhi High Court: Bail denied in both cases
On May 30 last year, the High Court rejected Sisodia’s bail plea in the CBI case. Later, his bail in the money laundering case was also denied.
Supreme Court: Pulled up ED, but denied bail
In July, seeking bail in the ED case, Sisodia told the apex court the agency had not traced any proceeds of crime to him. The SC also warned the agency that the “case will fall flat” after “two questions in the cross-examination”. The court, on more than one occasion, told the two agencies that they cannot keep Sisodia “in jail indefinitely”.
Yet, less than a month later, on October 30, it denied bail to Sisodia. On December 14, the SC also dismissed his petition to review its bail verdict. The court said the one “clear ground” in the PMLA case that was “tentatively supported by material and evidence” was the Rs 338 crore “excess profit” earned by the wholesalers due to changes made in the policy. The SC directed the agency to conclude the trial within six to eight months.
Four months on, charges have not been framed in the case. In the most recent hearing, the counsel of various accused in the case complained that a few documents provided to them via the CBI were not opening on their computers. The court granted them a week’s time to go to the CBI office to view the documents. The CBI also submitted a status report in a sealed cover in the court.
Custody parole
In November last year, Sisodia was allowed to go to his residence to meet his wife Seema — who is suffering from multiple sclerosis. In February this year, the court allowed Sisodia to meet his wife once a week while in custody.
Present status
After the SC’s directive to the agencies, Sisodia, in January, moved a Delhi court seeking regular bail in both the CBI and ED cases. The trial court, however, extended the AAP leader’s judicial custody till March 12 and deferred, till March 2, a decision on whether it will take up Sisodia’s “regular bail application”.
Other cases
In March 2023, the CBI registered an FIR against seven people, including Sisodia, under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with a snooping case related to the ruling AAP’s alleged “Feedback Unit”. Besides, there are three defamation cases against Sisodia.
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