Liquor scam: Delhi Court extends ED custody of Manish Sisodia by 5 days

New Delhi: A Delhi Special Court after hearing arguments on behalf of Enforcement Directorate and Defence Counsel allowed five more days ED custody of Delhi's Former Deputy CM and AAP Leader Manish Sisodia arrested on the allegations of corruption in Delhi Excise policy case.

Special Judge MK Nagpal after hearing plea on behalf of Enforcement Directorate granted five days Enforcement Directorate's custody of Sisodia. The court had earlier fixed March, 21 for hearing the bail application of Sisodia.

Investigating Agency after expiry of seven days Enforcement Directorate custody related to Money Laundering case produced Sisodia before the Special Court.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged before the court that Sisodia is not cooperating in the investigation by not giving answer why he changed so many phones. ED further submitted that further custody is required to confronted with other accused persons.

He submitted that there is a conspiracy in the framing of the Delhi Excise Policy to provide illegal benefits to certain people. Investigating Agency has alleged that framing of a new liquor policy for Delhi has resulted extraordinary profits for wholesalers.

Counsel for Sisodia opposed the plea of ED by submitting before the court not a single penny has been traced from Sisodia. He submitted that the further custody on the ground of phone, the same ground of phone has been mentioned by CBI in his remand. Now another investigating agency is repeating the whole process again. Agency has not show the proceed of crime and how Sisodia is involved in all this. So plea of ED for further custody of Sidodia may be dismissed in the interest of justice.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Sisodia on February, 26 after questioning on various aspects of the Excise Policy for 2021-22. After that Enforcement Directorate got his custody under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According to Investigating Agency the Excise Policy suffered from irregularities both in its formulation and implementation. (UNI)