New Delhi, 19 March (H.S.): The Delhi High Court granted Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and 21 other accused in the Delhi Excise Policy scam time to reply to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) petition contesting a trial court's critical observations while discharging all 23 on February 27, listing the matter for April 2 before Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma.

Accused counsels sought extensions, claiming non-service of copies; ED's ASG SV Raju deemed replies superfluous, prompting the court to order immediate provision. On March 10, notices issued noting apparent generalized agency critiques; March 9 saw CBI's adverse remarks stayed, trial court barred from ED money-laundering proceedings pending revision.

Rouse Avenue Court cited chargesheet contradictions—facts mismatched witness statements—after Sisodia's 530-day incarceration and Kejriwal's 156 days across arrests (ED March 21, 2024; CBI June 26, 2024), with Supreme Court bail September 13, 2024 (CBI) post interim July 12 (ED); ED's sixth supplementary chargesheet (May 10, 2024) named K Kavitha et al., cognizance May 29.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar