Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging his arrest and how the CBI is investigating the alleged liquor scam. The matter was brought before Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud for an urgent listing at 10.30 a.m., and he agreed to hear it at 3.50 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Sunday evening, Sisodia was arrested in connection with alleged corruption in the development and implementation of the now-canceled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
A special court in Delhi ordered him to be held in CBI custody for five days to conduct effective interrogation to uncover the alleged scam. The Rouse Avenue Court ordered that Sisodia be questioned by the CBI during his remand period at a location with CCTV coverage per the rules established by the Supreme Court and that the CBI keep a copy of the CCTV footage for its records.
Given the facts and circumstances, the court ordered that the accused be remanded in CBI custody for five days, until March 4, for further and extensive interrogation.
The Delhi deputy CM must be interrogated in custody, the CBI attorney argued to the court during arguments, to conduct a thorough investigation of the case. The CBI claimed that Sisodia’s five-day detention was necessary because the conspiracy “was hatched in a very planned and secret manner.”
Sisodia was arrested on Sunday, according to a statement from the CBI. They claimed he was giving evasive answers and refusing to cooperate with the investigation into the liquor scam case.
The minister’s lawyer stated that there can be no “self-incrimination,” and that failing to respond to the agency’s request cannot be interpreted as a lack of cooperation, in an attempt to refute the CBI’s position. The defense attorneys also claimed that the then-lieutenant governor (LG), who did not object to changes that are now part of the allegations, gave his approval for the policy.
MK Nagpal, a special judge for Rouse Avenue Court, accepted the agency’s plea.
With 18 portfolios, Sisodia is the second member of the elected government of the Capital to be detained by a federal agency. His detention has incensed and angered his party.
