An important development occurred on Monday when Manish Sisodia, the AAP leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi, was allowed to see his sick wife once a week while he was being held by the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi. Sisodia, who attended the hearing, is being held in relation to a case involving the Delhi excise policy. In an attempt to gain a reprieve, Sisodia has filed an appeal for regular bail in the Delhi Excise Policy case and asked for custody parole so that he can see his wife twice a week.
The court, ruled over by the court’s special judge, M. K Nagpal, permitted Sisodia to meet his wife once a week, with the attending physician being present during these meetings, in spite of objections from the CBI counsel. Senior advocate Mohit Mathur represented Sisodia, who stressed the importance of these visits by mentioning his family’s obligations, which include an ailing wife, a son living overseas, and an elderly mother. The court exercised caution, though, noting prior cases in which similar rights had been granted and casting doubt on the necessity of the visitation rights.
Ongoing legal dispute
On February 12, the court set a hearing for Sisodia’s regular bail plea. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was supposed to make its case at that time. In this legal drama, Sisodia has had several court applications for bail rejected, including by the Supreme Court. In December 2023, his most recent request for review was also turned down.
Delhi liquor fraud
Sisodia’s arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, and his subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9, 2023, are the basis for his alleged involvement in the case. Even in brief respites, like the custody parole granted in November 2023 for Diwali, Sisodia is entangled in a lengthy legal battle with unclear consequences.
The application states that his wife was diagnosed with psychological issues after suffering an acute episode of multiple sclerosis on April 25. The court observed that Sisodia’s wife’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis of the previous 20 years was already documented. Before being arrested by the CBI in February, Sisodia, a prominent member of the AAP, served as the government’s deputy chief minister and held a number of other positions, including the excise department, under Arvind Kejriwal.
After being arrested, he resigned from his position as deputy chief minister and minister of several departments, but his family continued to reside at his official house on Mathura Road, which he shared with Education Minister Atishi.
