NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court adjourned former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s order rejecting his bail to August 5 in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.A two-judge bench of the top court, led by Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan said, “Let the ED reply be filed prior to Thursday. The CBI reply is filed but not on record. Let rejoinder, if any, be filed by Saturday.”During the hearing on Monday, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG), S V Raju on behalf of the ED said, “Our counter was ready. But we have some preliminary objections.”“It is the second SLP challenging the same order. Same order cannot be challenged,” Raju objected to the plea filed by Sisodia.Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior lawyer for Sisodia, objected to it and said, “We would show why these pre-emptive submissions were being made. This is shocking and very unfortunate for a prosecutor to say this.”Countering this, Raju argued that if any application was filed, it has to be dealt with by the trial court.Sisodia contended that he has been in custody for 16 months and the trial against him has not made any progress since October last year.”I have been inside (Tihar jail) for 16 months and the trial is at same speed as that was in October 2023. This is not like a NDPS case. The trial is at snail pace.”The Supreme Court had issued notice to the CBI, ED and sought their detailed respective replies on hearing the bail pleas filed by Sisodia seeking bail related to corruption and money laundering charges in the excise policy case.
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