Court extends judicial custody of Manish Sisodia in Delhi excise policy case

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi extended Aam Aadmi Party leader and erstwhile Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s judicial detention in the ED case on Saturday in Delhi excise policy matter until May 8.

Former deputy CM launched a stinging attack while talking to the media as he was being escorted to the court amidst heavy police presence. He said that PM won’t be able to “stop Arvind Kejriwal’s work no matter how much he tries”. “Modi ji jitni koshish kar le lekin Kejriwal ji ke kaam ko rok nahi payenge Delhi me (No matter how much PM Modi tries, he won’t be able to stop Kejriwal’s work in Delhi),” Sisodia said.

The statement from Manish comes after Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to an alleged Excise fraud in the national capital on Friday.

On Friday, Special Judge MK Nagpal denied Sisodia’s bail application in the money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

On Friday, Special Judge MK Nagpal denied Sisodia’s bail application in the money laundering case currently under inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Sisodia can’t be held imprisoned over speculation: lawyer Dayan Krishnan

Previously, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan argued on behalf of Sisodia that it is not the ED’s job to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet; instead the ED’s task should be to inform who benefited from any crime committed. According to the lawyer, Sisodia cannot be held imprisoned only on the basis of conjecture. He claimed that no money laundering charges had been filed against the Aam Aadmi Party leader.

Enforcement Directorate, on the other hand opposed the bail plea and said “an illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks”.

Zohaib Hossain, while appearing for the ED, told the Court that the case contains all of the characteristics of a conspiracy. The conspiracy is developed in secrecy, the policy is made public, submitted an ED lawyer, and every process dealing with proceeds of crime is money laundering.

After hours of questioning at Tihar Jail, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case on 9 March.

The CBI had earlier arrested Sisodia as part of its continuing probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the GNCTD’s excise policy.