Excise policy case: Delhi court extends judicial custody of Sisodia, Singh

A Delhi court on Saturday, 2 February, extended the judicial custody of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh in the Delhi excise policy case by five days.

The two were produced before special judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court on the expiry of their previously-extended judicial custody, and will now remain in jail until 7 March in the case being probed by the ED (Enforcement Directorate). A detailed order is awaited.

On 17 January, the court reserved its decision on whether to entertain Sisodia's regular bail plea in the case considering his pending curative petition before the Supreme Court, following arguments from both the ED and Sisodia's legal counsel.

The ED had, at the previous hearing, said that Sisodia's regular bail application should not be entertained while his curative petition is pending before the top 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 Sisodia to attend his niece's wedding. The excise policy case is being probed by both the ED and the CBI.