The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): A Delhi court, presided over by special judge Kaveri Baweja, has declined the bail requests of Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and a prominent AAP leader, in connection with the corruption and money laundering allegations related to the Delhi Excise Policy scandal.
The decision came after detailed deliberations involving arguments from both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), as well as Sisodia’s defense counsel. Judge Baweja stated that the current stage of the legal proceedings did not warrant the granting of bail.
The allegations by the CBI and ED revolve around supposed irregularities in the modification of the Delhi Excise Policy. According to the agencies, these changes resulted in undue advantages to certain licensees, including waivers or reductions in license fees and unauthorized extensions of licenses without proper approval.
The authorities assert that the beneficiaries of these alleged modifications funneled illicit gains to involved officials and manipulated financial records to obscure these transactions.
Sisodia was first taken into custody by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his purported involvement in these irregularities and was subsequently arrested by the ED on March 9, 2023, on money laundering charges derived from the initial CBI case.
His resignation from the Delhi cabinet was submitted shortly after his arrest, on February 28, 2023. This case continues to develop as investigations proceed, reflecting ongoing legal challenges for Sisodia and the AAP in the broader context of governance and accountability in Delhi’s administration.