A local court in Delhi on Monday sent Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to five days custody under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with his alleged involvement in the liquor scam case.
Special CBI Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court sent Sisodia to CBI remand till March 5.
Appearing for CBI, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Pankaj Gupta argued that investigation had revealed that Sisodia verbally directed the Secretary to put a new Cabinet note to bring about the change and variance in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
Gupta said the Deputy Chief Minister was heading the Group of Ministers constituted by the Cabinet for the Excise Policy. The profit margin was enhanced from five percent to 12 percent. Sisodia could not explain why the changes were made, he added.
The SPP said the agency was asking for his phone, which he has been using since January 2020.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing Sisodia, argued that the grounds for remand were not tenable in law at all.
He said all the arguments about profit margin were approved by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. The LG, who was a complainant in the case, had himself approved the policy in May, 2021, he added.
Responding to the allegation that Sisodia damaged three phones, Krishnan said that the Respondents have alleged that Sisodia used four phones, out of which, he destroyed three.
He contended that Sisodia could not have kept the damaged phones with him in anticipation that CBI would come and arrest him.
Earlier on Sunday, the national agency had arrested Sisodia in connection with the liquor policy scam, after eight hours of questioning.
Sisodia had reached the CBI office for questioning on Sunday morning.
Ahead of his questioning by the Central agency, security personnel were deployed outside Sisodia’s residence as many Aam Aadmi Party supporters had gathered outside the house of the Delhi’s Deputy CM.
Sisodia held a road show along with his supporters and even visited Rajghat before heading to the CBI headquarters.
Several AAP leaders alleged that they were put under house arrest till Sisodia’s questioning was completed.
CBI said it has arrested Sisodia on the basis of some documents and digital evidence.
The Central agency said Sisodia would be produced before the court on Monday.
CBI further said that it has also arrested the AAP leader for destruction of evidence.
Read the order here:
Manish-Sisodia