On Friday, the Supreme Court granted bail to Manish Sisodia in cases related to irregularities in the excise policy. The decision was made by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. The court imposed several conditions, including the surrender of Sisodia's passport and a ban on influencing witnesses.
The Supreme Court was considering Sisodia's appeal against the Delhi High Court's dismissal of his bail application in cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the investigating agencies, expressed concerns about potential witness tampering. Raju highlighted the importance of certain witnesses and presented evidence suggesting Sisodia had destroyed phone records. He also criticized Sisodia for filing miscellaneous applications related to the supply of unrelated documents and argued that the trial could proceed regardless of further investigation.
Senior Advocate A M Singhvi, defending Sisodia, noted that seventeen months had passed, nearly half of the minimum possible sentence for the offense. Singhvi disputed the allegations regarding profit margins, stating that these were cabinet decisions made after discussions with various officials, including the then Lieutenant Governor. Raju countered by arguing that profit margins cannot be increased arbitrarily and emphasized that Sisodia was deeply involved in the scam, holding 18 portfolios as Deputy Chief Minister and being responsible for all cabinet decisions.
On June 4, the Supreme Court allowed Sisodia to renew his plea after the final charge sheet is filed. Sisodia was arrested in February 2023 by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of Delhi's now-scrapped new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn due to opposition allegations of misconduct. According to the CBI, Sisodia played a crucial role in the criminal conspiracy, being extensively involved in both the policy's formulation and implementation to achieve the conspiracy's objectives.
