Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia was on Tuesday denied bail by the Delhi High Court. He had sought bail in all cases pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
The court said that there was no delay on the part of the prosecution to supply the documents and trial court in the framing of charges.
The Delhi HC's decision comes a day after the Rouse Avenue Court extended Manish Sisodia's judicial custody till May 31.
“This court is of the view that there has been no delay on part of the prosecution to supply the documents & on the part of the trial court regarding argument on charge. It is not the fault of ED, CBI & the trial court that there was voluminous record of investigation,” observed the court.
Meanwhile, terming them "meritless", the high court also rejected his contention that it cannot consider the application on merits. The court noted that the Supreme Court had not curtailed the right of the lower courts to consider the application on merits.
The court said that the former Delhi deputy chief minister was involved in the crucial destruction of electronic evidence and is an influential person being a powerful leader of the AAP. The possibility of Sisodia influencing material witness cannot be ruled out, the court noted.
The court said during the hearing that the AAP leader, instead of honestly taking public opinion, "orchestrated a scheme where pre-drafted emails" were sent "under the guise of public comment by various people under his direction."
"Corruption in this case originated from the applicant’s desire to frame the policy. The dissemination of false information by portraying it as a form of feedback constitutes corruption," added the court.
Furthermore, the court said that Sisodia has not been able to make a case for granting his bail. However, it allowed him to meet his wife under custody every week on the same terms and conditions which were decided by the trial court.
The AAP leader's wife, Seema Sisodia has been suffering from an acute attack of multiple sclerosis, an an autoimmune condition of the central nervous system.
