Delhi Excise policy: Court sends Manish Sisodia to five-day CBI custody

On Monday, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court granted the CBI a 5-day detention of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia until March 4 to interview him in the excise policy issue.
The CBI arrested Sisodia on Sunday. After hearing the CBI and defense counsels’ arguments, Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal granted Sisodia’s remand.

While requesting a five-day remand, the CBI’s public prosecutor told the court that Manish Sisodia was the leader of the Group of Ministers.

It is a case of increasing the profit margin from 5 per cent to 12 per cent and benefiting the liquor manufacturer.

“Two draft policies were recovered from his computer in 2021. In one, the percentage of Commission was 5 per cent. In another policy the percentage of profit was 12 per cent. During the investigation, he could not explain why the changes were made. The conspiracy was hatched in a very secret manner,” CBI alleged.

According to the organization, Sisodia authorized excise officials to provide a license to Indo Spirit, which was also in contact with the southern group.

The CBI also claimed that Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister changed phones several times.
It was also reported that Vijay Nair was highly active, holding a meeting with members of the south group at the Oberoi Hotel, and that CCTV and evidence were scrutinized and collected. According to the CBI, Nair sought unlawful gratification from the south group. In this action, two public officers were also named as defendants.

The court asked CBI “Why custody of the accused is required?”

The public prosecutor submitted that for effective investigation custodial interrogation was required. “He is not answering and his answers are evasive,” CBI said.

On the other hand, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan appearing for Sisodia vehemently opposed the CBI custody.

“Let them show a single call with my client, any meeting with my client,” Advocate Kirshnan argued.
“If he is not giving the desired answers, it cannot be a ground for remand. I am a minister of finance and education. There are many things in the phone. It cannot be given at any shop for repair,” the senior advocate argued.