NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to August 5 a plea for bail filed by former Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia in a corruption and money laundering cases in the liquor policy scam.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan found the CBI has filed its response to the petition but it was not on record.
The court allowed the Enforcement Directorate to file response and Sisodia to file rejoinder before August 5, the next date of hearing.
"Let ED reply be filed prior to Thursday. The CBI reply is filed but is not on record. Let rejoinder if any be filed. List on Monday," the bench said.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi appeared for Sisodia and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju for the CBI and the ED.
In his submission, Raju said our counter was ready but we have some preliminary objections.
"It is second special leave petition challenging the same order, which cannot be allowed," he submitted.
To the submission, Singhvi said it is very shocking and unfortunate for a prosecutor to make such peremptory objections.
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In his plea, Sisodia said he has been in custody for 16 months.
He contended the trial was going on at same speed that was in October, 2023.
Sisodia sought bail in cases filed by the CBI and the ED.
In March, the trial court had dismissed Sisodia's bail plea saying he was prima facie the “architect” of the alleged scam and had played the “most important and vital role” in the criminal conspiracy related to alleged payment of advance kickbacks of nearly Rs 100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.
The CBI had registered the case against Sisodia in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy 2021-22, naming him as one of the accused in the case.
He was arrested on February 26, 2023.
Sisodia was earlier declined bail by the trial court, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court in both ED and CBI cases. The Supreme Court had also dismissed Sisodia's review petition. It had also dismissed his curative petition.
Sisodia filed the fresh application to revive a disposed-of petition.