Manish Sisodia moves Delhi High Court after trial court denies him bail in liquor policy case

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday moved the High Court against a trial court order denying him bail in the liquor policy case, PTI reported.

Sisodia sought an urgent hearing of his petition before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora. The bench listed the case for May 3.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader has sought bail in cases filed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

Sisodia, named as a key conspirator in the liquor policy case, has been in jail since February 2023, when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation. On March 9, 2023, the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in the same case. He is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

On Tuesday, special judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court had denied bail to Sisodia in the case.

The case

The Enforcement Directorate’s case is based on a first information report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging irregularities in the Delhi government’s now-scrapped liquor policy.

The agencies have alleged that Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government modified the policy to ensure a 12% profit margin for wholesalers and a nearly 185% profit margin for retailers.

The former deputy chief minister is accused of extra-procedural interference in framing the policy.