Delhi HC reserves order on Sisodia's bail plea in excise policy case

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its judgement on former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the 2021-22 excise policy case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The senior AAP leader had moved to the high court on April 3, seeking interim bail in the case on the grounds of his wife's illness.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma directed the jail superintendent to provide Sisodia with video conferencing facility to speak to his wife every alternate day between 3-4 p.m. as per prison rules, till disposal of bail plea.

The CBI on Wednesday opposed the bail plea, arguing that the former Deputy Chief Minister was in a position of power and had political clout.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, appearing for the probe agency, said that Sisodia controlled various departments including the excise and had wilfully destroyed evidence and a mobile phone on the day the matter was referred by the Lieutenant Governor to the CBI.

Before the bench of Justice Sharma, the CBI also referred to a "missing file" relating to the policy documents and said that it went missing probably because it contained some notings which were not palatable.

The ASG said: "Our case is that the note was destroyed or it was made to disappear. We have evidence to show that he was the last person who was handed over this file which contained the cabinet note. He is capable of tampering with the evidence."

Previously, Raju had submitted that "the change from 5 per cent to 12 per cent in the interest rate was made to get the kickback money. He (Sisodia) made the policy in such a way that guaranteed return in the form of kickbacks came".

"Sisodia concealed legal experts' opinions given by eminent personalities as well. He hadn't mentioned it anywhere. It was ignored completely. They (members of AAP) did not include it in the policy," the ASG had added.

On Monday, a Delhi court extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 23 in a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9 after the CBI's arrest on February 26.

Last month, Special CBI Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court denied bail to Sisodia, holding that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in the offence.

In the case being probed by the CBI, the Delhi court extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 12.