A Delhi court on Wednesday ordered Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister, to spend 14 days in judicial custody as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the excise policy for 2021–2022. After the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody of Sisodia in the money laundering investigation came to an end today, he was brought before special Judge MK Nagpal of Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.
Sisodia pleaded with the court to permit him to carry a few holy and spiritual books while he is in judicial custody. The court told the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader that it will grant the request and instructed him to move an application in this regard.
Sisodia is already in judicial custody in connection with a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. (CBI).
On February 26, the CBI detained Sisodia in relation to allegations of corruption in the creation and execution of the now-cancelled Delhi Excise Policy 2021–2022. In connection with the CBI case, ED detained Sisodia on March 9 while he was already detained in Tihar Jail.
The hearing on Sisodia’s bail request in the primary case under investigation by the CBI was postponed by the special court on Tuesday, March 25.
According to Sisodia, the CBI’s investigation into the alleged irregularities relating to the excise policy has not turned up any evidence that implicates him or that he poses a flight risk. His lawyers argued there was no documentary evidence of him receiving “kickbacks” and the allegation that the accused destroyed documentary evidence was “vague”.
Sisodia was “definitely” in a position to sway witnesses and obliterate evidence, according to D P Singh, a special public prosecutor for the CBI, who opposed the bail request.
“We only have 36 days left to submit the chargesheet. Sisodia’s release on bail before that point will jeopardise our investigation, according to the SPP.
