Excise policy case: SC judge recuses from Manish Sisodia's pleas for revival of bail petitions

Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar on Thursday recused himself from hearing AAP leader Manish Sisodias pleas seeking to revive his bail petitions in the excise policyrelated corruption and money laundering casesA bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna Sanjay Karol and Sanjay Kumar said another bench in which Justice Kumar is not a member will take up Sisodias two separate pleas for reviving his bail petitions in cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI in the caseAs soon as the matter was taken up for hearing Justice Khanna said Our brother has some difficulty He will not like to hear this matter for personal reasons Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi appearing for Sisodia requested the bench to list the matter urgently saying time is of essenceHe said the trial has not yet commenced in both the casesThe bench said another bench will take it up on July 15On July 8 the top court agreed to list Sisodias plea after Singhvi said an application has been filed for revival of a disposed of petition which was filed seeking bail in the casesThe plea said the law officer appearing for the probe agencies told the bench that the charge sheet and prosecution complaint in the main excise policy case and the linked money laundering matter will be filed on or before July 3In the Manish Sisodia matter he has been in jail for 16 months The court said the trial must conclude it hasnt started I filed the special leave petition SLP they gave liberty to revive after July 3 The court gave liberty to list Singhvi had submittedOn June 4 the top court refused to entertain the bail pleas of Sisodia in cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scamWhile declining the bail the bench on June 4 said Sisodia can revive his petitions for bail after the ED and the CBI file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet respectively in the cases involving alleged corruption and money launderingA prosecution complaint is the EDs equivalent of a charge sheetA vacation bench of justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta had noted the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the ED and the CBI that the central probe agencies would file their final prosecution complaint and charge sheet by July 3In the light of the said submissions made and having regard to the fact that the period of 68 months fixed by this court by order dated October 30 2023 having not come to an end it would suffice to dispose of these petitions with liberty to the petitioner to revive his prayer afresh after filing of the final complaintchargesheet as assured by Solicitor General the bench said in its orderIt added in the event of such a bail application being filed the same would be considered on its own merits as already observed by this court in the October 30 2023 orderSisodia had earlier moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Courts May 21 verdict which dismissed his bail pleas in the cases probed by the two central agenciesThe former Delhi chief minister had challenged in the high court a trial courts April 30 order by which it had rejected his bail applications in the cases involving alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the nowscrapped Delhi excise policy for 202122On October 30 last year the top court denied him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam saying the accusation of windfall gains of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers was tentatively supported by evidenceWhile dismissing the regular bail plea the top court gave him liberty to approach the courts for relief if there was a change in the circumstances or trial got protractedSisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 2023 for his alleged role in the liquor policy caseThe ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 2023He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28 2023This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever