Former Delhi deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia was granted a 3-day interim bail in Delhi excise policy case on Monday by a Delhi court to attend a relative's wedding. Sisodia had requested a bail to attend the wedding of his niece in Lucknow on February 14.
Special CBI Judge M K Nagpal granted interim bail to him from February 13 to February 15.
Earlier, on February 5, the court permitted Sisodia to visit his unwell wife once a week during his detention. Special Judge M K Nagpal further prolonged Sisodia's judicial custody until February 22, following his appearance in court at the expiration of his previous remand.
The judge postponed his decision on the bail application regarding excise policy-related cases brought forth by the CBI and the ED. Sisodia had requested custody parole to visit his sick wife twice weekly. The judge instructed the CBI to submit a comprehensive status report regarding their ongoing investigation into the alleged excise policy case by February 22, the date of the next hearing. This directive was issued after the defense counsel raised concerns about insufficient disclosure regarding the status of the investigation.
During the proceedings, the CBI submitted a report indicating that the investigation is still ongoing and is currently at a critical juncture. They mentioned that the probe concerning the 16 individuals charged in the case has been concluded. However, investigations against other accused and suspects are still underway. The agency requested the court to schedule arguments on the charges.
The defense counsel objected to the CBI's submission, arguing that the status report is inadequate. "We only received translated copies of the documents today, and we require time to review them thoroughly," he stated. He further emphasized that conducting arguments on the charges would be premature without the completion of the investigation.
The court has instructed the CBI to install software on the laptops of the defense counsel to enable them to access the extensive files pertaining to the case. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 of last year in relation to suspected corruption surrounding the development and execution of the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, which led to his resignation as Delhi's deputy chief minister. Subsequently, on March 9, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sisodia in Tihar jail on charges of money laundering stemming from the excise policy issue.
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