The Rouse Avenue Court sent former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to judicial custody till March 20, in the case pertaining to the alleged excise policy scam. He was produced before the court following the expiry of his CBI custody. On Saturday, the Delhi court had extended his custody till March 6 as per requested by the central agency. During the hearing, the former minister alleged that he was being subjected to several hours of CBI questioning and dubbed it as mental harassment. Manish Sisodia would be moved to Tihar Jail after a special court today sent him to judicial custody till March 20.
Meanwhile, the AAP Sunday alleged that the CBI is “mentally torturing and harassing” Sisodia to accept the allegations made against him in the liquor policy case. AAP chief spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged: “The CBI does not have any documentary evidence to prove Sisodia has embezzled even a rupee. Because of lack of evidence, their whole game is to get him to admit to baseless allegations through torture and to sign a false confession one way or another.”
Have a look at a few big facts from the big story.
- Manish Sisodia has applied for bail. The CBI, sources had earlier said, may not seek further custody.
- Mr Sisodia, 51, has said in this bail petition that he was being asked the same questions over and over, and that was causing him mental harassment.
- His lawyer said keeping him in custody will “serve no fruitful purpose” as all recoveries in the case have been made. He also said the “inefficiency of the agency” to complete the probe cannot be ground for remand.
- The court has asked the CBI not to ask Mr Sisodia the same questions. “If you have something new, ask him,” judge Nagpal said.
- The CBI, on its part, has said that Mr Sisodia had been uncooperative and evasive during the questioning. They also cited time lost in his medical examination and the Supreme Court hearing of his bail plea.
- The AAP leader had approached the top court for relief following his arrest. The Supreme Court, however, refused to intervene and asked him to approach the High Court.
- Mr Sisodia faces allegations of corruption in the liquor policy that was scrapped after Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe.
- The Arvind Kejriwal government was accused of bending rules and providing undue benefits to liquor vending licensees.
- The Delhi government has rubbished the allegations, saying that the BJP was misusing investigating agencies for political motives. Mr Kejriwal has said the now-scrapped liquor policy was the “most transparent policy in the country”.
