Court Extends Manish Sisodia's CBI Custody By 2 Days, Next Bail Hearing On March 10
Delhi's Rouse Avenue extended the CBI custody of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in liquor policy case. Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi liquor policy case by the CBI.
New Delhi: Delhi's Rouse Avenue on Saturday fixed the date for hearing in the bail plea of arrested former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case after his five-day custody ended. Sisodia, who has resigned from the Delhi Cabinet and as deputy chief minister, was produced in the court today. The ex-Delhi minister was arrested in the liquor policy case by the CBI and he filed a bail petition in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Friday.
The Delhi Court fixed March 10 for hearing the bail plea of Manish Sisodia, news agency ANI reported. The Court issued a notice to CBI in this regard.
During today's hearing, the CBI, seeking further three-day remand, told the court that Manish Sisodia was not cooperating with the investigation, ANI reported. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appearing for Manish Sisodia opposed the application on extension of remand.
Seeking an extension of remand by CBI is not justified, argues Krishnan.
Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed outside CBI headquarters earlier in the day, news agency ANI reported. Meanwhile, Aam Adami Party leaders and workers staged a protest against the arrest of Manish Sisodia near its party office.
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Sisodia in his bail application submitted stated that he has joined the probe as and when called for by CBI, as reported by ANI. He further said that no fruitful purpose will be served by keeping him in custody as all recoveries have already been made. This comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain Sisodia's plea challenging his arrest by CBI and asked him to approach the High Court for alternative remedies. Sisodia, who held 18 portfolios in the Delhi government, including excise and education, quit on Tuesday hours after the Supreme Court junked his plea.
Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday in connection with alleged corruption in the now-withdrawn liquor policy. CBI officials said that the arrest was made after the Deputy CM didn’t cooperate in the investigation and avoided clarifications sought by them. He is the second Delhi minister to be arrested since Satyendar Jain.
Earlier this week, a special Delhi court sent Sisodia to five-day CBI remand. The investigation agency claimed that the policy had irregularities both in its formulation and implementation and allegedly intended to benefit people having ties to the AAP. The CBI has alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, an accusation strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped.