Excise case: Sisodia planted e-mails to show public approval for policy, ED tells Delhi court
The ED's special public prosecutor then told the judge that the agency wanted to show him the case diary, at which the defence counsel said that it should not be done so in secrecy.
Published: 12th April 2023 06:42 PM | Last Updated: 13th April 2023 09:04 AM | A+A A-
Jailed AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. (Photo | PTI)
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a Delhi court that AAP leader Manish Sisodia, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam, had planted fabricated e-mails to show that there was public approval for the policy.
“We have evidence that Sisodia had e-mails planted. These have been received not only in the official e-mail account of the Excise Department but even in his personal e-mail account. The content of the e-mails was given by Sisodia which suited his agenda,”
the central agency submitted before Special Judge M K Nagpal. As per the ED’s claim, the directions to send these pre-drafted e-mails were given to Zakir Khan, chairman of Delhi Minorities’ Commission, who asked his interns to do the needful.
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“Fabricated e-mails were sent to show that there was a public approval of the policy. This is a sham approval… Illegal ecosystem was created to give benefits to the liquor cartels in lieu of kickbacks,” the special public prosecutor representing the agency submitted.
On the other hand, the defence counsel argued that there should not be any secrecy in the proceedings.
“Sealed cover business should go. If something is used against me to deny me my liberty… If they are relying on something behind my back… It should be put to me as well,” the defence counsel argued.
The ED, however, said that the 60 day period allowed to a probe agency post an accused’s arrest to complete the investigation against him was not over. “We will put it to you after 60 days,” the ED said. The case will be further taken up on April 18 for next hearing.
The ED had on April 5 told a Delhi court the investigation in the money laundering probe against Sisodia in the case was at a “crucial” stage and it had found fresh evidence of his complicity.
