Excise scam: Court extends Sisodia's judicial custody till May 23
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 May, 2023 12:30 PM
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) A Delhi court on Monday extended AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's judicial custody till May 23 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The ED has alleged that Sisodia was the mastermind behind the entire excise policy case and that he had deliberately leaked the policy to the co-accused to generate financial kickbacks.
Sisodia is currently in judicial custody.
The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9 after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him on February 26 this year.
Last month, Special CBI Judge M. K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court had denied bail to Sisodia, holding that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in the offence.
Last week, High Court judge Dinesh Kumar Sharma sought the ED's response to Sisodia's bail plea and another application seeking interim bail on the ground of his wife's ill-health and listed the matter for further consideration on May 11.
In the case being probed by the CBI, Delhi court extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 12.
The incident took place on April 11 when the man, identified as Shiv, was to take a Go First flight (G8-157) to Bagdogra, West Bengal. According to a complaint lodged by the airline staff, when he was asked to open his bag for a mandatory secondary ladder point check, Shiv got agitated and told them that there was a bomb inside his bag.
The NIA had produced Bishnoi before the court after bringing him to Delhi from Punjab on Monday for questioning in connection with a case registered last year. Bishnoi is currently lodged in Bathinda Central Jail.
Special judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court will pronounce the order on April 26. On Monday, the court had extended Sisodia's judicial custody by two weeks in the case.The probe agency had also said that the 60 days given to complete the investigation against Sisodia are not over yet.
The Chief Minister said: "Before 2017, the state was infamous for riots. More than 700 riots rocked the state between 2012 and 2017. But not a single riot broke out after 2017. Earlier, just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared.
On April 5, the ED had informed Judge Nagpal that it has found fresh evidence indicating Sisodia's involvement in the alleged excise scam, and the investigation is at a crucial stage. The court had extended AAP leader's custody till April 17 in this case.
In three separate incidents, the Customs Officials posted at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport have arrested three persons who were supplying 3 kg gold worth Rs 1.68 crore. A Customs Official said that all three are Indian nationals who arrived from Middle East. They were intercepted and held on the basis of intelligence inputs.
