In a major jolt to Delhi former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the Supreme Court on October 30 dismissed his bail pleas in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the now-scrapped excise policy for the national capital.
The top court, however, directed that the trial should be completed within 6 to 8 months; if the trial proceeds slowly, Sisodia will be entitled to apply for bail again within three months.
The Supreme Court reserved the case for judgment on October 17. During the hearings, the court told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that if a bribe that was allegedly paid for tweaking the Delhi excise policy was not part of the predicate offence, it would be difficult to prove the money-laundering case against Sisodia.
The high court denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a “high-profile” person who has the potential to influence the witnesses. On July 3, the high court declined his bail in the money-laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, holding that the charges against him are “very serious in nature”.
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