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Journalism of Courage
This is an archive article published on August 8, 2024
Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on Sisodia’s bail plea in excise policy case tomorrow
The CBI had arrested Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 26, 2023 while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 9 the same year.
The top court had denied bail to Sisodia on October 10 last year. (Express Archives)
The Supreme Court will pronounce Friday its verdict on former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s plea for bail in the excise policy case. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan had reserved its judgment on his petition on August 6.
The CBI had arrested Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 26, 2023 while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 9 the same year. Sisodia had approached the SC challenging the May 21 order of the Delhi High Court dismissing his bail application.
The top court had denied bail to Sisodia on October 10 last year. Though it raised doubts on some of the charges levelled against him by ED, the court, however, said there is “material and evidence” which “tentatively” supports one of the charges under the PMLA, 2002. According to the charge, 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 between 2021 and 2022.
It also said the prosecution had assured that trial would be completed in six-eight months, and added that Sisodia could file a fresh bail application if the trial was protracted. Subsequently, the court also dismissed petitions seeking review of the October 10 order.
On June 4, 2024, a vacation bench of the SC declined to entertain Sisodia’s bail plea after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured that the final chargesheet/prosecution complaint against him would be filed by July 3. Noting the assurance, the top court bench disposed of the bail plea and said Sisodia could revive it once the chargesheet is filed.
Reserving its verdict on Tuesday, the SC asked the ED to provide a realistic answer as to when it expects to conclude the trial in the case. While Sisodia has stressed on the delay in the commencement of the trial to seek bail, the ED, opposing this, has contended that the delay was being caused by the AAP leader himself by filing one application after the other.
“Realistically you tell me, when do you see the end of the tunnel considering there are 493 witnesses?,” said Justice K V Viswanathan who was part of a two-judge bench hearing Sisodia’s bail plea. The bench, presided by Justice B R Gavai, reserved its order in the matter.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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