A local court in Delhi on Monday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till April 3 in the case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) produced Sisodia before the Rouse Avenue Courts through video conference (VC), as his judicial custody ended today.
The national agency told the court that investigation, which was going on in the case, was currently at a critical juncture and they needed judicial custody of the Aam Aadmi Party leader to question him.
The court then extended the judicial custody of Sisodia till April 3.
The AAP leader is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till Wednesday.
On March 17, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal at the Rouse Avenue Court had extended his ED custody till March 22.
The Court directed Sisodia to be produced before it at 2 pm on March 22 and listed his bail petition for hearing on March 21.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Sisodia under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after questioning him inside Tihar jail.
On February 27, the trial court had remanded Sisodia to CBI’s custody for five days. The custody was later extended by two more days.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26 after an interrogation of more than eight hours. He was named as an accused in the FIR related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the Excise Policy for the year 2021-22.
CBI claimed that it arrested Sisodia as he gave evasive replies and did not cooperate with the investigation despite being confronted with evidence.
Sisodia was earlier questioned on October 17 last year. A charge sheet was filed in the matter on November 25, 2022.
The FIR by CBI alleged that Sisodia and others were instrumental in ‘recommending’ and taking decisions regarding the Excise policy 2021-22 without approval of the competent authority, with an intention to ‘extend’ undue favours to the licensee post tender.