Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told a Delhi court on Tuesday that his wife is ill and there is no one to care for her. His lawyer stated that because his kid studies abroad, it is his responsibility to care for her.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which detained him on February 26, objected to his bail, claiming that because he is in such a prominent position in the government, he might easily not only hide but also destroy, evidence relevant to the case.
Mr Sisodia said that he had helped with the CBI probe into the Delhi excise policy matter and that none of the searches had turned up anything damning about him. His lawyer stated that his detention was no longer necessary and he was not a flight risk.
His lawyer argued, “I am a public servant, but two other public servants, against whom allegations are graver, have not been arrested,” and added that there is no proof in writing that he has received kickbacks.
The CBI contended that even if Mr Sisodia is not a flight risk, his release could influence witnesses and impede the probe.
Mr Sisodia’s counsel also informed the court that all of the charges against him carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and that any additional detention is not warranted.
Manish Sisodia had 18 portfolios and all the information, according to the CBI’s counsel, and he allegedly destroyed various phones he had used, as well as some critical papers.
The CBI’s counsel said that the former deputy chief minister’s repeated phone changes were not an innocent mistake, but were done on purpose to destroy evidence in the case.
“The probe agency has 60 days to file a chargesheet in the matter, and if Manish Sisodia appears, the inquiry will be significantly jeopardized,” he said.
