Excise Scam: Delhi Court Extends Judicial Custody Of AAP Leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh

The Enforcement Directorate sought their further judicial custody, saying that the case was at a crucial stage, and if released, the accused may hamper the investigation.

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia reaches his residence from Tihar Jail to meet his ailing wife after permission from a city court, in New Delhi.

Source : PTI

The Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AA leader Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. 

“The court has extended their (AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh’s) judicial custody. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 19,” Advocate Farrukh Khan said.

Special Judge M K Nagpal extended the custody of the leaders after they were produced before the court on the expiry of their judicial remand granted earlier.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought their further judicial custody, saying that the case was at a crucial stage, and if released, the accused may hamper the investigation.

The CBI had earlier registered the case alleging that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval, PTI reported.

The ED started its investigation based on a CBI case, and it is probing the money laundering part of the alleged scam.

The CBI arrested Manish Sisodia in February last year and he was taken in custody from Tihar Jail by the ED in March. Sisodia resigned as Deputy CM of Delhi following his arrest by the CBI.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh was arrested in October last year by the ED. He was elected for a second consecutive term to Rajya Sabha in January this year.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Thursday issued summons to CM Arvind Kejriwal on a fresh complaint by the ED for evading its summonses in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam, saying there were sufficient grounds for proceeding against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra directed Kejriwal to appear before the court on March 16. The judge passed the order on the ED's complaint seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for repeatedly evading summonses on January 12 and 31 and February 14.