Manish Sisodia

The CBI accused Manish Sisodia of participating in a conspiracy to design and implement Delhi's excise policy. Arrested in February 2023, he remained in custody for a lengthy period before obtaining bail from the Supreme Court in August 2024. On 27 February 2026, the trial court discharged Sisodia, Arvind Kejriwal and 21 other defendants, criticising, among other things, the quality of the investigation.

State of the evidence

arrest, detention, bail, discharge and CBI appeal documented

Legal status — source text

discharged with 22 other defendants by the trial court on 27 February 2026; the CBI appealed, and the Delhi High Court was still considering the appeal in August 2026

Attribution

Sisodia was personally accused as Excise Minister; no guilt established, and the first-instance order was favourable to him

The Enforcement Directorate opened a money laundering case arising from alleged offences concerning the excise policy. Following Sisodia's discharge in the CBI case in February 2026, a central question became whether the PMLA case could survive if the underlying offence was not upheld.

State of the evidence

ED proceedings documented; legal implications of the CBI discharge still disputed

Legal status — source text

no conviction; the outcome of the PMLA branch remained separate and had not been definitively decided following the CBI discharge

Attribution

Sisodia personally targeted by the ED's allegations; presumption of innocence

Following decisions in the excise litigation, Sisodia and several AAP officials published messages expressing distrust of the judge and the proceedings. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma considered prima facie that the campaign could scandalise the Court and initiated criminal contempt proceedings before recusing herself from the excise case.

State of the evidence

Delhi High Court order initiating criminal contempt proceedings documented

Legal status — source text

proceedings initiated on 14 May 2026; no contempt conviction established in the checks conducted

Attribution

personal responsibility for posts and letters attributed to his account; outcome remains pending

Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch registered an FIR in April 2025 against Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over allegations of inflated costs and irregularities in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in public schools.

State of the evidence

earlier complaint, CVC report, ACB FIR and questioning documented

Legal status — source text

FIR registered in April 2025; Sisodia summoned and questioned; no conviction identified

Attribution

Sisodia personally targeted as former Finance and Education Minister; works operationally fell under the PWD led by Satyendar Jain

The CBI alleges that the Feedback Unit established by the Delhi government, officially intended to gather feedback on administrative operations, devoted some of its activities to political intelligence gathering against AAP opponents and was improperly established or funded.

State of the evidence

authorisation to prosecute and CBI FIR documented

Legal status — source text

FIR registered in March 2023; no personal conviction identified in checks conducted up to August 2026

Attribution

Sisodia directly named because of his responsibility for the vigilance department

Sisodia accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of favouring companies linked to his wife in the purchase of PPE kits during the pandemic, citing, among other things, a price difference. Sarma initiated defamation proceedings.

State of the evidence

public remarks, complaint and High Court's refusal to quash proceedings documented

Legal status — source text

Gauhati High Court refused to quash the proceedings in November 2022; the Supreme Court subsequently declined to intervene at that stage; no conviction verified

Attribution

personal responsibility for the public allegations against Sarma