NEW DELHI: A special CBI court on Monday remanded Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in five-day custody of the central probe agency till March 4, a day after his arrest in the excise scam case. Special judge M K Nagpal allowed the CBI's plea for the custodial interrogation of Sisodia.
Earlier in the day, the court had reserved its order on the plea after hearing arguments from the CBI and Sisodia's counsel.
The CBI on Sunday evening arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22.
The AAP leader, accused number one in the CBI FIR, was earlier questioned on October 17, a month before the agency filed its charge sheet on November 25.
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The CBI had not named Sisodia in the charge sheet as the central probe agency kept the probe open against him and other suspects and accused, they said.
Meanwhile, Police on Sunday detained 50 persons, including AAP MP Sanjay Singh and minister Gopal Rai, protesting near the CBI office where Sisodia was being questioned. Police said section 144 CrPC was imposed in the area.
Sisodia was arrested after his deposition appeared incoherent with respect to the evidence and information gathered by the agency during the preliminary probe and statements of witnesses and accused (including government officials) who deposed in the case so far. In a statement issued post his arrest, the CBI claimed, “He gave evasive replies and did not co-operate the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary.”
Sources said that during questioning Sisodia was also asked about the changing of 7 mobile phones and destroying about 170 SIM cards and mobile handsets along with other accused to which no satisfactory answer was received. Sisodia was also confronted by two Delhi government officers during interrogation at the CBI headquarters on Sunday.
On February 19, Sisodia skipped CBI summon for questioning apprehending arrest and had sought more time from the agency, citing that he was in the midst of finalising the budget for Delhi and the draft is at a very crucial stage.
“Accepting his request, he was reissued the notice under 41A Cr.P.C for attending the investigation today (on 26.02.2023) for answering various questions evaded by him during his examination on October 17, 2022, and further questions relating to his incriminating role based on evidence collected during the investigation of the case,” the CBI said.
The CBI registered the Delhi Excise scam case in August last year against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The FIR was lodged after Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Sisodia, in charge of the excise department at the relevant period when the policy was formulated and implemented.
It was alleged that the policy, which was brought into effect in November 2021, was influenced at the formulation stage to benefit certain businessmen, liquor distributors and traders. Following the registration of the case the Delhi government had withdrawn the policy with effect from 31 July 2022.
So far the CBI has filed one chargesheet in the case on November 25, 2022, and named seven accused, including two officials of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and five persons were named in relation to the alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.
Those named are Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun R Pillai, Mootha Gautham, Sameer Mahendru, Kuldeep Singh, who was the then deputy commissioner, Excise and Narender Singh, the then asst. commissioner of Delhi’s Excise Department.
(With PTI inputs)