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

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

Special Judge M K Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court had, on January 17, reserved the order for Wednesday, following arguments from both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Sisodia's legal counsel.

The judge also will now hear the matter on March 2, when the judicial custody of AAP MP Sanjay Singh and Sisodia will also expire.

The ED had, in the previous hearing, said that Sisodia's regular bail application should not be entertained while his curative petition is pending before the apex court.

Special counsel Zoheb Hossain had 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, had questioned the rationale behind withholding the bail plea until the curative petition's outcome. He had 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 Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.