Sisodia moves Delhi HC for interim bail, states wife's ill-health
Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 May, 2023 11:58 AM
New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Wednesday moved the High Court seeking interim bail in the now-scrapped excise policy case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sisodia has sought for interim bail on the ground of illness of his wife.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, while listing the plea for consideration on Thursday with his regular bail plea, also asked the CBI to try make efforts to file the status report in the matter on the same day itself.
Last week, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court had extended Sisodia's judicial custody till May 12.
The court had also directed the CBI to supply an e-copy of the supplementary charge sheet to Sisodia.
Claiming that the probe agency had filed an incomplete investigation in the case, Sisodia's counsel had urged the court to grant default bail to his client.
"Prima facie it seems the agency is saying that further investigation regarding me is required/pending. Therefore, we reserve the right to file an application for statutory bail," counsel had said.
The probe agency had filed the charge sheet on April 25.
On April 26, the CBI had told the Delhi High Court that the excise policy scam it is probing, is a "deep-rooted conspiracy" and that it is not as simple as depicted.
Jusge Nagpal had on April 29 also extended Sisodia's custody till May 8 in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A day before, the judge had denied bail to Sisodia holding that the evidence prima facie "speaks volumes" of his involvement in commission of the offence.
The police have arrested six persons in this connection, out of whom two are residents of Liluah in Howrah district, two are from Maharashtra and one from Gujarat. The police suspect that besides running the fake call centre, the arrested persons were also involved in illegal hawala transactions.
A forensic science lab team also reached the spot and inspected the suitcase and the spot where the body was found. The hands and the feet of the victim were tied with a rope, a police officer said, not ruling out the possibility of foul play in the case.
The officials said that some dreaded criminals were lodged in the same ward, adding that Sisodia has not raised any complaint in food or other things so far. Sisodia, who was arrested on February 26 in the Delhi excise policy case, was lodged in the cell on Monday after due formalities which included some medical tests.
Special public prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad argued the charges against Poonawala. It was submitted that the accused is a trained chef from Taj Hotel and is aware of preserving the flesh. Poonawala had also ordered dry ice, agarbatti etc. after killing Shraddha Walker, the police said.
Carrying placards, father Balkaur Singh and mother Charan Kaur told the media it has been almost a year of the crime occurrence and the main culprits have not been arrested.They demanded that the case should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as crucial witnesses "are being eliminated and nothing is going in their favour."
The accused were identified as Mohd. Danish (33) and Danish alias Raja (30), both residents of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. Police have also recovered five high end luxury cars and SUVs from the possession of the accused.