Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has granted interim bail for three days to former deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, allowing him to attend his niece’s wedding. Special CBI judge M K Nagpal approved Sisodia’s request for bail from February 13-15.

Sisodia had sought interim bail to partake in his niece’s wedding festivities. Earlier, on February 5, the court had permitted Sisodia to visit his ailing wife once a week while in custody, extending his judicial custody until February 22.

During the proceedings, the judge adjourned Sisodia’s bail application in excise policy-related cases filed by the CBI and the ED. Sisodia had requested custody parole to visit his ailing wife twice a week. The judge directed the CBI to submit a detailed status report on its ongoing investigation regarding the alleged excise policy case by February 22.

The CBI informed the court that the investigation is ongoing and at a crucial stage, stating that the probe concerning the 16 charge-sheeted accused has been completed. However, further investigation is ongoing against other accused and suspects in the case.

The defence counsel objected, citing incomplete disclosure in the status report, requesting time for scrutiny as they had received translated copies of documents just recently. The court directed the CBI to install software on the laptops of the defence counsel to facilitate access to the case’s voluminous files.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 last year in connection with alleged corruption related to the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, subsequently resigning as Delhi deputy chief minister. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also arrested Sisodia on March 9 in Tihar jail in a money laundering case stemming from the excise policy matter.