Following the expiry of his CBI custody on Monday, former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was produced before a city court this morning.
The Rouse Avenue Court, in turn, sent Sisodia to judicial custody till March 20. The former Delhi deputy CM will be lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. The CBI also clarified that “at this stage, we are not seeking further remand but in the next 15 days we might.”
Sisodia (51) was produced, Saturday, before special judge M.K. Nagpal on expiry of his seven-day custodial interrogation allowed by the court earlier. The court extended his custody till March 6 as requested by the Central agency. During the hearing, he alleged that he was being subjected to several hours of CBI questioning and dubbed it as mental harassment.
His lawyer said keeping him in custody will “serve no fruitful purpose” as all recoveries in the case have been made. He also said the “inefficiency of the agency” to complete the probe cannot be grounds for remand.
The court has asked the CBI not to ask Mr Sisodia the same questions. “If you have something new, ask him,” judge Nagpal said.
The CBI, on its part, has said that Mr Sisodia had been uncooperative and evasive during the questioning. They also cited time lost in his medical examination and the Supreme Court hearing of his bail plea.
The AAP leader had approached the top court for relief following his arrest. The Supreme Court, however, refused to intervene and asked him to approach the High Court.
Mr Sisodia faces allegations of corruption in the liquor policy that was scrapped after Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe.
The Arvind Kejriwal government was accused of bending rules and providing undue benefits to liquor vend licensees.
The Delhi government has rubbished the allegations, saying that the BJP was misusing investigating agencies for political motives. Kejriwal has said the now-scrapped liquor policy was the “most transparent policy in the country.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Monday, inaugurated the Ashram flyover extension that would bring huge relief for people commuting between Delhi and Noida.
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