New Delhi, May 3 (Agency) The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the petition filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia seeking bail in the cases connected with liquor policy scam. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought a response from the ED and the CBI and listed the matter for hearing on May 8. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Sisodia and said that the earlier order of the Trial court allowing Sisodia to meet his ailing wife once a week should be continued.
Special counsel Zoheb Hossain appearing for ED submitted that they have no objection if the trial court order allowing the Deputy CM to meet his ailing wife is continued. Sisodia had approached the High court challenging the trial court order dismissing his second bail plea in both CBI and ED cases on April 30. Sisodia was earlier denied bail by the trial court, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in both ED and CBI cases. The Supreme Court had also dismissed Sisodia’s review petitions against the denial of bail. His curative petitions have also been dismissed. The Apex Court, while dismissing his bail plea on October 30 last year said that he could file a fresh bail plea before the trial court if the trial proceeds at a snail’s pace. Manish Sisodia was first arrested by CBI and ED on February 26 and March 9 last year respectively. In the FIR registered by the CBI, Sisodia and others have been accused of being instrumental in making the New Excise Policy for Delhi. The policy was formulated and later scrapped. Sisodia is accused of ‘recommending’ and ‘taking decisions’ regarding the 2021-22 excise policy, “without the approval of competent authority to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender”.