NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till November 22 in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Notably, Special Judge M K Nagpal allowed an application by Sisodia to put his signatures, under attestation of the court, on some documents pertaining to the approval of funds from some development schemes pertaining to his assembly constituency, Patparganj.
Sisodia had moved the application in August to allow him to sign documents for a new bank account, stating that his account with the Shakarpur Branch of the Bank of Baroda, in which his salary was being credited, had been provisionally attached by the ED.
His family is finding it difficult to run their household affairs as his salary cannot be deposited in the said account, the AAP leader had submitted while seeking to open a new account in his name. Sisodia, who is behind bars since February 26 in the alleged corruption case related to the now-scrapped excise policy of the Delhi government, was initially taken in by the CBI and later arrested by the ED on March 9 in Tihar Jail in a case of money laundering.
The jailed minister’s bail plea, denied multiple times in lower courts and Delhi High Court, is now pending before the Supreme Court for adjudication. Earlier, SC had questioned the probe agencies in relation to the “chain of evidence” in the case against Sisodia, asking how a case was made out against him. It also had asked the ED that since the Aam Aadmi Party is alleged to be the beneficiary of money laundering, why had the party or its office bearers not been made an accused in the case. However, later the apex court had clarified that it’s a legal question while Sisodia’s lawyer said ‘media’ widely circulated it in another sense.
Constituency work allowed
The court has granted approval to permission sought by Manish Sisodia to carry out various development projects in his assembly constituency. After Special Judge M K Nagpal allowed his application, letters have been sent to all relevant departments to ensure that the works will commence promptly, the MLA office said on Thursday. He had moved the application in August