New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed an application moved by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is an accused in the Delhi excise policy case, seeking to release money from his MLA fund for developmental work in his constituency Patparganj.
The Central Bureau of Information (CBI), which did not oppose Sisodia’s application, also told Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court that it is in the process of filing a fresh supplementary charge sheet in the case related against Sisodia and others.
The probe agency’s response came as the judge asked whether the matter should be fixed for arguments on the framing of charges. It said that the investigation was still ongoing and a report will be filed after it is complete.
Moreover, appearing for co-accused Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai, Advocate Nitesh Rana, submitted that since the verification of the documents supplied to the accused by the CBI is still not complete, the matter cannot be placed for arguments on charge.
The court had earlier also issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sisodia’s plea seeking permission to withdraw money from a bank account for medical expenses for his wife and other household expenses.
Sisodia’s application came after the bank denied withdrawal without written orders from the court.
Sisodia’s counsel Mohd Irshad had submitted that the bank is not allowing him to withdraw the amount which is required for medical and other expenses.
In July, the high court denied bail to Sisodia in the 2021-22 excise policy case being probed by the ED.
A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had said that Sisodia 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.
The high court observed that the order of the special judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court denying bail to Sisodia was well reasoned and does not hold any illegality or infirmity.
“Learned Special Judge has passed a reasoned order on the basis of the material available on record. This court has also rejected the bail application of the accused… titled as Manish Sisodia v. CBI dated May 30, 2023,” Justice Sharma said.
The probe agency had arrested Sisodia on March 9, after the CBI had arrested him on February 26.
Sisodia was denied bail by the high court in the CBI case also on observing that the allegations are very serious.
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