Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Kumar recused himself on Thursday from hearing the bail pleas of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy scam cases. Sisodia is seeking bail in the cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Karol, and Sanjay Kumar announced that another bench, which does not include Justice Kumar, would hear Sisodia's two separate cases seeking to revive his bail petitions. "Our brother has some difficulty. He will not like to hear this matter for personal reasons," stated Justice Khanna at the outset of the hearing.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Sisodia, urged the bench to expedite the listing of the matter, highlighting the urgency as the trials in both cases had yet to commence. The Supreme Court responded by scheduling the matter for July 15 before a different bench.

On June 4, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Sisodia's bail pleas in the cases initiated by the CBI and the ED. Sisodia had previously approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Delhi High Court's decision from May 21, which dismissed his bail petitions.

The AAP leader had contested an April 30 trial court order in the High Court, which also rejected his bail petitions. These petitions concerned alleged irregularities in the creation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.

On October 30, 2023, the Supreme Court denied bail to Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the liquor policy scam. The court noted that the accusation of "windfall gains" amounting to Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers was "tentatively supported" by evidence.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the liquor policy case. Subsequently, the ED arrested him on March 9, 2023, in connection with the money laundering case derived from the CBI’s FIR. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.