Supreme Court adjourns Manish Sisodia's interim bail plea

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to pass any direction on the interim bail plea moved by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the corruption and money laundering cases related to the now-scrapped excise policy.

“Re-list the case for hearing on interim relief and the regular bail application on September 4,” a bench Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S.V.N. Bhatti ordered while adjourning the matter.

Appearing for Sisodia, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi urged the apex court to grant Sisodia interim bail to meet his ailing wife Seema, saying that it was a “humanitarian” and “genuine” issue.

He referred to medical reports related to Seema Sisodia's health condition.

“The other side is saying that the wife is suffering from the last 23 years. It is a stable condition. We will take it up (plea for interim bail on wife’s medical condition) when we hear the regular bail. We will examine it,” remarked the bench.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju was granted a period of two weeks to file response on behalf of the ED.

The petitioner side was also granted liberty to file a rejoinder affidavit.

On July 14, the Supreme Court had issued a notice and sought responses of the probe agencies on the pleas filed by the senior AAP leader challenging orders of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the CBI and ED cases.

It had then decided to hear the application for interim bail on August 4.

On July 3, a division bench of the Delhi High Court hadrefused to grant bail to Manish Sisodia saying that he 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.

In a statement issued by the ED on July 7, the probe agency said that it has attached assets worth Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Manish Sisodia, his wife and some other accused persons in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9, after the CBI arrested him on February 26 this year.

In April, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal had denied bail to the AAP leader holding that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in the commission of the offence.