Sisodia withdraws interim bail pleas from HC as wife's health stabilises

Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday withdrew from the Delhi high court his interim bail pleas in cases related to alleged irregularities in formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, saying the medical condition of his wife was stable.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma allowed Sisodia to withdraw the interim bail applications.

The senior Aam Aadmi Party leader is being probed by Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate over alleged corruption and money laundering.

Sisodia is lodged in Tihar jail in judicial custody.

He had filed both regular and interim bail pleas on various grounds including his wife's poor health.

Senior advocate Mohit Mathur, representing Sisodia, said since the order on the main bail plea in the Central Bureau of Investigation case is already reserved and the condition of the AAP leader's wife is now stable, he does not wish to press for interim bail.

However, additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the CBI and ED, said it was not a simple case of withdrawal of bail applications.

Raju said the move has come after he accused Sisodia of deliberate suppression of facts by not mentioning in court about the discharge of his wife from hospital.

The high court took note of the law officer's submission regarding suppression of facts and said without going into any such contention, the application is dismissed as withdrawn.

Sisodia's wife is suffering from multiple sclerosis, a potentially disabling disease of the brain and central nervous system. She was hospitalised after her condition worsened but was later discharged.

Sisodia's counsel also briefly argued on his regular bail plea in the money laundering case lodged by ED, and said bail is the general rule and not an exception.

The high court will continue hearing the arguments on his bail plea in the money laundering case on May 26.

The court had earlier directed the Tihar jail superintendent to allow video calls between Sisodia and his ailing wife for an hour every alternate day.

It had said the interim direction shall remain in force till the time it decides Sisodia's regular and interim bail pleas.

The CBI had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on February 26, following several rounds of questioning.

On March 31, the trial court had dismissed Sisodia's bail plea, saying he was "prima facie the architect" of the "scam" and had played the "most important and vital role" in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.