Excise policy case: Delhi court extends AAP leader Manish Sisodia's ED custody by 5 days

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17

A court here on Friday gave former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s custody to the Enforcement Directorate for five more days in a money-laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.

Special Judge MK Nagpal extended the ED remand of the senior AAP leader after he was produced before it under heavy security deployment in and around the Rouse Avenue Court complex here.

Crucial information came up during Sisodia’s custodial interrogation and he had to be confronted with other accused, the ED told the court, adding voluminous data found in his emails and mobile phones were being forensically analysed.

Opposing the ED’s remand plea, Sisodia’s counsel said there was not a whisper from the probe agency regarding the proceeds of the alleged crime, which was fundamental to the case. There was no justification for the extension of custody, the counsel said, pointing out that he was confronted only with four people during his seven-day custody that ended on Friday.

Earlier, the court had on March 10 sent Sisodia to ED custody for seven days to facilitate his interrogation in the case.

He was earlier arrested on February 26 by the CBI in a corruption case related to the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22. He remained in CBI custody till March 6 and thereafter, he was sent to judicial custody in that case.

The ED arrested Sisodia on March 9 in Tihar jail, where he was lodged in connection with the CBI case relating to alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

The court had earlier posted Sisodia’s bail plea for hearing on March 21. (With PTI Inputs)