Excise policy case: Delhi court reserves order on Sisodia's bail plea amidst pending curative petition

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday reserved its decision on whether to entertain former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's regular bail plea, considering his pending curative petition before the Supreme Court.

Special Judge M K Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court reserved the order for February 21, following arguments from both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Sisodia's legal counsel.

The judge also extended till March 2 the judicial custody of AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and Sisodia.

The ED contended that Sisodia's regular bail application should not be entertained while his curative petition is pending before the apex court.

Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain argued that seeking relief simultaneously from two forums is impermissible under legal discipline, urging the trial court to await the disposal of the curative petition.

In response, senior advocate Mohit Mathur, representing Sisodia, questioned the rationale behind withholding the bail plea until the curative petition's outcome.

He cited precedents from the coal scam cases where trial proceedings continued despite pending special leave petitions in the Supreme Court.

The court had recently granted three-day interim bail to former Sisodia to attend his niece's wedding.

The alleged excise policy scam is being probed by both the enforcement agencies -- the Enforcement Directorate and CBI.