SC postpones Manish Sisodia's bail plea hearing till September 4
What's the story
The Supreme Court on Friday postponed the bail plea hearing of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in two excise policy cases till September 4.
Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader filed interim bail petitions, citing his wife's health issues.
However, the court concluded that she was "fairly stable" after reviewing her medical records.
Details
SC asked CBI, ED to submit responses
The SC stated it will consider Sisodia's interim bail requests alongside his regular bail petitions.
On July 14, the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit their responses to Sisodia's interim bail pleas.
On Thursday, the CBI said the politician should be denied bail as he is the main accused in the liquor policy irregularities case.
More details
Delhi HC denied Sisodia bail many times
Sisodia approached the SC after he was denied bail several times by the Delhi HC in cases being investigated by the CBI and the ED.
He requested the SC that the CBI submit the chargesheet against him. The charges against Sisodia are punishable by less than seven years in prison.
He also noted that the co-accused in the case were already free on bail.
Case
CBI launched probe in 2022
The CBI probe into Delhi's Excise Policy was launched in 2022 following directives from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who sought an investigation into violations while developing the policy.
Saxena's action came after Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report on the matter. The report accused Sisodia—who held the excise portfolio—of providing undue benefits to liquor vend licensees in lieu of "kickbacks" and "commissions."