The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail petitions of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in cases related to money laundering and corruption under the cases were filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) respectively relating to alleged excise policy scam.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over the proceedings which lasted 22 minutes starting from 6:28 pm, cited allegations against Sisodia, including his alleged involvement in the destruction of vital evidence, including electronic evidence.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja on Tuesday extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 31 in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam.
The high court stated that Sisodia was a very powerful and influential person within the power corridors of the Delhi government.
The bench added that the material collected during the investigation showed that Sisodia prima facie manipulated the process of making the excise policy by fabricating public feedback to "suit his predetermined goal".
The high court had on May 14 reserved its order on the pleas after hearing arguments on behalf of the AAP leader, CBI and ED.
What Did Sisodia Ask For?
Manish Sisodia challenged a trial court’s April 30 order which rejected his bail pleas.
The trial court rejected Sisodia's requests for bail in cases involving corruption and money laundering filed by the CBI and ED.
These cases relate to alleged irregularities in creating and implementing the Delhi alcohol policy for 2021-22, which was scrapped later.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on March 9 last year arrested the former deputy chief minister of Delhi.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in the alleged liquor scam.
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