Delhi excise policy case: Court extends AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s ED custody by five days

NEW DELHI,MAR 17: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court extended AAP leader and Delhi’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s  Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand by five more days in a money laundering case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.

Sisodia was produced before special judge M K Nagpal, who extended his custody till March 22. The ED had sought a seven-day extension of Sisodia’s custody.

Heavy security deployment was made inside and outside the Rouse Avenue Court premises.

The ED told the court that crucial information had come up during Sisodia’s custody and he had to be confronted with other accused persons. These included former excise commissioner Rahul Singh, Dinesh Arora and Amit Arora.

You can trouble me but can’t break my spirit: Manish Sisodia’s message from Tihar jail

The former Delhi deputy chief minister had also to be confronted with his former secretary C Arvind, the ED said. C Arvind is not an accused in the case.

The probe agency also told the court that voluminous data from Sisodia’s email and mobile, etc. is also being forensically analysed.

Opposing the federal probe agency’s plea, Sisodia’s lawyer said there is not a whisper from the agency regarding the proceeds of the crime, which is fundamental to the case.

He further said there is no justification for the extension of custody and Sisodia was confronted only with four people during his earlier seven-day custody.

Sisodia involved in faulty policy, generated Rs 290 cr ‘tainted funds’, says ED

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

The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26.

-The New Indian Express