Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had arrested Sisodia on March 9 in connection with the case, opposed the bail application, saying the investigation was at a "crucial" stage and claiming the senior AAP leader had planted fabricated e-mails to show there was public approval for the policy. ED said it had found fresh evidence of his complicity in the alleged crime.

Special Judge M K Nagpal denied the relief to Sisodia, saying the stage was not fit to grant him bail.

The judge had reserved the order after hearing arguments on Sisodia's plea seeking relief claiming that his custody was no longer required for investigation.

The court had on March 31 dismissed Sisodia's bail application in a corruption case, being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying he was "prima facie the architect" in the criminal conspiracy behind alleged payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

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The court had observed that the release of Sisodia, at the moment, would "adversely affect the ongoing investigation".

The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.

(With agency inputs)

(Edited by : Pradeep John)

First Published:Apr 28, 2023 4:32 PM IST