The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Manish Sisodia in the Delhi liquor policy case. ED, which is investigating the money laundering angle in the liquor policy case, questioned Sisodia for about 45 minutes in Tihar Jail before arresting him. The former deputy Delhi CM was arrested a day ahead of his bail hearing in the liquor policy case filed by CBI.
ED is investigating the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). If the investigative officer has "reasons to suspect" that the individual is "guilty" of money laundering, the ED may use Section 19 of the PMLA, which empowers it to arrest persons engaged or implicated in the case.
Earlier on March 6, the agency had made a fresh arrest in this case after taking the custody of Hyderabad-based liquor businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai.
The federal probe agency had previously on March 7 also questioned and recorded the statement of Sisodia in Tihar prison.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26 by the CBI in connection with suspected corruption in the creation and implementation of the now-canceled Delhi liquor or excise policy for 2021-22. He is being held in judicial custody until March 20th.
However, the court is going to hear Sisodia's bail application on March 10.
During Sisodia's custody, the CBI questioned him with his former secretary C. Arvind and then Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna in connection with suspected excise policy manipulation.
Sisodia was not included as an accused in the charge sheet issued by the CBI in the case on November 25, 2022.
The Delhi Government's excise policy for 2021-22, which grants licences to liquor merchants, is said to have facilitated cartelisation and favoured particular dealers who reportedly paid bribes for it, a claim strenuously denied by the AAP.
The policy was then repealed, and the Delhi L-G requested a CBI investigation, after which the ED filed a case under the PMLA against the same accused.