Excise policy case: Delhi HC seeks CBI’s response on bail plea by former Dy-CM Manish Sisodia

PTI, Apr 6, 2023, 11:58 AM IST

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the CBI’s response on former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s bail plea in the excise policy scam case. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued a notice on the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s plea and asked the agency to file its response. ”Issue notice. Let reply be filed,” the judge said. On March 31, a trial court here had dismissed Sisodia’s plea, saying he was ”prima facie the architect” and played the ”most important and vital role” in the criminal conspiracy relating to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on February 26, following several rounds of questioning. The matter would be heard next on April 20.