Delhi Liquor Policy Case: Court Grants Custody Parole, Allows Manish Sisodia to Visit Ailing Wife Weekly

A Delhi court has granted permission to former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, accused in the Delhi liquor policy case, to visit his ailing wife once a week while in custody. The court will also hear his regular bail plea on February 12, presided over by Special Judge M K Nagpal.

During the hearing, Judge Nagpal inquired if Manish Sisodia’s wife could visit him in jail with assistance, but his lawyers responded negatively, citing her inability to walk for extended periods, preventing her from visiting him in jail.

Last month, Manish Sisodia sought regular bail and custody parole to spend two days per week with his wife, Seema Sisodia, who is a multiple sclerosis patient. The former deputy CM faces accusations of interfering in the formulation of the now-revoked new excise policy, allegedly benefiting specific liquor entities and causing substantial losses to the state exchequer.

In July 2022, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar raised concerns about procedural deviations in the excise policy’s formulation. The report highlighted changes to dry day policies and extensions of license periods without a fee increase, resulting in “undue benefit” to licensees without justification.

Manish Sisodia, first arrested by the CBI in February last year and later by the ED in March, was named a “key conspirator” in the ED chargesheet.