Delhi court extends judicial custody of Manish Sisodia till Jan 10 in excise policy case

New Delhi, Dec 11: A Delhi court on Monday extended till January 10 the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy case.

The court also granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate counsel to file additional documents related to the case, while listing the matter for further hearing on January 10.

On November 21, the court had directed counsels for the accused – Kuldeep Singh, Vijay Nair, Sameer Mahendru, Rajesh Joshi, and more – to inspect additional documents in the Delhi Excise policy case at the CBI Headquarters, and had adjourned the matter.

The court had noted that several documents were pending and have to be filed by the financial probe agency, for the accused.

Besides, the court had also expressed that the trial in the matter should start as soon as possible.

In July, the High Court denied bail to Sisodia in the 2021-22 excise policy case. A Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had said that Sisodia was not able to meet the twin conditions for grant of bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the triple test for grant of bail.

The High Court observed that the order of the Special Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court denying bail to Sisodia was well reasoned and does not hold any illegality or infirmity.

"Learned Special Judge has passed a reasoned order on the basis of the material available on record. This court has also rejected the bail application of the accused... titled as Manish Sisodia vs. CBI dated May 30, 2023," Justice Sharma said.