Excise policy case: Delhi HC grants final opportunity to Kejriwal, Sisodia to reply to ED plea

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday deferred the hearing on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking the expunging of certain adverse observations made against it by a trial court while discharging all accused, including AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, in the excise policy case.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted a “last and final opportunity” to the respondents, including Kejriwal and Sisodia, to file their replies to the ED’s plea.

Justice Sharma made it clear that if the replies are not filed by the next date of hearing, the respondents’ right to place their responses on record would stand closed, and the matter would proceed ex parte.

The matter has now been listed for further hearing on April 22.

The development comes after the High Court had earlier deferred the hearing on March 19, allowing time to the respondents to place their replies on record in the ED’s plea seeking deletion of certain portions of the February 27 order passed by the Rouse Avenue Court.