NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed for an early listing and hearing of former Delhi deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia’s curative petition, seeking bail in the liquor policy case.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader told the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud bench that the trial court has deferred the hearing of Sisodia’s fresh bail application by saying that the curative petition is pending before the apex court.
The CJI assured him for an early listing of his curative plea. After Sisodia’s review was dismissed by the SC, he filed a curative plea, as the last legal option, challenging his bail rejection.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26, 2023, for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22 following several rounds of questioning.
In March, the trial court had dismissed Sisodia’s bail plea saying he was prima facie the “architect” of the alleged scam and had played the “most important and vital role” in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of nearly Rs 100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.
Singhvi had submitted that the former Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister is languishing in jail for over a year.
The Supreme Court had on December 14 last year, in its order rejected his plea seeking review of its earlier decision of October 30, denying him bail in the Delhi Excise Policy case.
Arrest and aftermath
Sisodia was arrested on February 26, 2023, for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22 following several rounds of questioning. In March, the trial court had dismissed Sisodia’s bail plea saying he was prima facie the “architect” of the alleged scam and kickbacks of nearly Rs 100 crore.