Delhi court greenlights Manish Sisodia's request for MLA fund allocation amid ongoing excise policy case

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday, August 22, granted former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia permission to release funds from the MLA fund for development.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader's lawyer informed the court that a similar application had been approved in the past for the release of funds from the MLA's fund.

Notably, Sisodia's application faced no opposition from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Manish Sisodia had filed an application to the court, seeking its authorisation to allocate funds from the MLA fund for developmental purposes. Apart from their monthly salary, all MLAs are given funds for the development of their area. The funds can range from Rs 1 crore to Rs 8 crore annually.

The CBI's case pertaining to the ongoing excise policy scam case has been postponed until September 20 by the Rouse Avenue Court.

Furthermore, the court has instructed that copies of the documents related to the charge sheet be provided to all the accused individuals involved.

On August 4, the Supreme Court adjourned the bail plea hearing of Sisodia until September, granting the Enforcement Directorate more time to file a reply to the leader's plea.

The hearing was in connection with the Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister's role in the liquor policy scam case where he has been accused of money laundering and corruption.

Sisodia has been under custody since February 2023 and is currently under investigation by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).

Sisodia's bail applications in both the CBI and ED cases were previously rejected by the lower courts. He approached the Supreme Court to challenge these verdicts. The case is still ongoing, and investigations are underway.