Setback to Manish Sisodia: Delhi court rejects bail plea in excise policy case

In a major blow, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday denied bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case. The detailed order is awaited. Earlier, the HC and Supreme Court had also refused to grant him bail in the ongoing money laundering case. 

Manish Sisodia is facing a corruption and money laundering probe by the CBI and the ED. The CBI and the ED have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, licence fee was waived or reduced and licences were extended without the competent authority's approval.

The beneficiaries allegedly diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies have claimed. 

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the "scam". The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

Since then, he has been lodged in Delhi's high-security Tihar jail.