Supreme Court refuses to grant bail to Manish Sisodia in Delhi Excise Policy case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the money laundering case against him in connection with the Delhi excise policy [Manish Sisodia vs Directorate of Enforcement]..A Vacation Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta recorded the submission of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that a chargesheet will be filed in the matter by July 3. The Court clarified that it is not saying anything on the merits of the matter and also stated that Sisodia will have the liberty to file for bail afresh. "We will not say anything. We will dispose with liberty to revive your prayers. We are not saying anything on merits and all contentions are left open. In both the CBI and ED cases the order is (common)," the Court remarked.The order states: "It would suffice to dispose of these petitions with liberty to the petitioner to revive his prayer afresh after filing of the final complaint/Charge-sheet as assured by learned Solicitor General. Needless to state that in the event of such an application being filed, the same would be considered on its own merits ... Accordingly, these petitions stand disposed of."The Court however, did not clarify whether the liberty to file for bail afresh would be before trial court or Supreme Court."Liberty to move Supreme Court? I am inside for 15 months. Let me be very blunt trial courts do not deal with politically sensitive matters (on time)," Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on behalf of Sisodia. The Court, however, did not issue any clarification in that respect. .Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023. The Bench was hearing his appeal against a recent Delhi High Court order. The High Court had on May 21 denied bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in the cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the Delhi excise policy case.Single-judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had noted that the prosecution had made out a prima facie case of money-laundering.Sisodia's conduct amounts to "great betrayal of democratic principles", the High Court had stated, while adding that the delay in the trial cannot be attributed to the CBI and the ED..ED makes AAP and Arvind Kejriwal accused in Delhi excise policy case; files chargesheet.The case involves allegations that Delhi government officials had connived to grant liquor licenses to certain traders in exchange for bribes. The accused officials are alleged to have tweaked the excise policy to benefit certain liquor sellers.The trial court had recently rejected Sisodia’s bail plea in both the CBI and ED cases against him, leading to the present plea before the High Court.This is the second round of bail applications filed by Sisodia.One round of bail applications was earlier rejected in 2023. Sisodia's bail plea in the CBI case was rejected on March 31, 2023. On April 28, 2023, the trial court rejected his bail application in the ED case.The Delhi High Court upheld the trial court orders and the same was upheld by the Supreme Court as well in October 2023.At the time, however, the Supreme Court had said that Sisodia could file for bail again if the trial progressed at a slow pace.He then moved the present round of bail plea..Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, countered the contention by ED that he was delaying the trial. "They said I filed a lot of applications (to delay trial), which they opposed but they were all allowed. Wife is suffering from extremely serious paralysing multiple sclereosis. These are all my statutory rights my lords, (but) they are saying I cannot! Even pre trial has not started and it is being said I am delaying trial," Singhvi contended.Solicitor General Tushar, representing ED, said that Sisodia was protracting the trial and then blaming that trial was proceeding at snail's pace. He also said that ED will file the chargesheet in the matter soon."We will file final chargesheet within 2 weeks. Lordships may direct day to day trial," he submitted..[Read order]