NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s petition challenging his arrest and CBI custody in the Delhi excise case, prompting him to resign from the Arvind Kejriwal-led government.
Minutes after a Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud declined to entertain his petition, Sisodia and another minister Satyendar Jain, who was arrested in May last year in a money laundering case, tendered their resignations. Chief Minister Kejriwal accepted their resignations, a Delhi Government spokesperson said.
A Delhi court on Monday remanded Sisodia in CBI custody for five days for custodial interrogation in the excise policy case. The Bench said just because the incident had happened in Delhi, Sisodia could not come to the top court directly as he had his remedies before the trial court concerned as well as the Delhi High Court.
“Since the petitioner (Sisodia) has efficacious alternative remedies available under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, we are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, at this stage,” said the Bench, which also included Justice PS Narasimha.
On Sisodia’s behalf, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the need to arrest the senior AAP leader, saying policy decisions were taken at a different rung and that no money was recovered. The Delhi Lieutenant-Governor was also part of the policy decision, Singhvi submitted.
However, the Supreme Court refused to entertain his petition.