'Manish Sisodia powerful, witness influencing can't be ruled out': Delhi HC rejects AAP leader's bail plea

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Delhi Court said there was no delay on the part of the prosecution to present the documents and trial court to frame the charge against Manish Sisodia. The Delhi HC said Manish Sisodia allegedly indulged in destruction of crucial evidence, including electronic evidence. The possibility of Sisodia influencing material witnesses cannot be ruled out, the court said.

“Material collected showed Sisodia subverted process of excise policy by fabricating public feedback to suit his predetermined goal", said Delhi HC. “This court is of the view that there has been no delay on part of the prosecution to supply the documents and on the part of the trial court regarding argument on charge. It is not the fault of ED, CBI and the trial court that there was voluminous record of investigation," the court said.

The high court had on May 14 reserved its order on the pleas after hearing arguments on behalf of the AAP leader, CBI and ED. Sisodia has challenged a trial court’s April 30 order by which his bail pleas were rejected. The trial court had dismissed Manish Sisodia's bail pleas in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED respectively in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

Meanwhile, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja on Tuesday extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 31 in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on March 9 last year arrested the former deputy chief minister of Delhi. Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in the alleged liquor scam.