Liquor Policy Case: Delhi Court Extends Manish Sisodia’s CBI Custody till April 17

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 3rd April. A Delhi Court on Monday extended former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s judicial custody by 14 days until April 17 in a case involving alleged irregularities in the Union territory government’s excise policy formulation and implementation.

The CBI produced Manish Sisodia in court on Monday and requested an extension of his judicial custody, citing that the investigation into the case is at a critical stage. Accepting the plea, the court remanded the AAP heavyweight until April 17.

Last week, Sisodia was denied bail by Special Judge MK Nagpal, who stated that the allegations against him were serious in nature and that at this stage of the case, he does not deserve to be released on bail as he was arrested only on February 26 of this year.

The judge stated that the investigation into Sisodia’s role in the case is still ongoing, as are the roles of some other co-accused involved in the case.

According to the CBI, Sisodia was “prima facie the architect” and played the “most important and vital role” in the criminal conspiracy involving the alleged payment of advance kickbacks in the range of Rs 90-100 crore to him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-cancelled Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The Delhi government’s excise policy for granting liquor trade licences is said to have allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly denied by the AAP. The policy was later repealed, and the Delhi LG recommended a CBI investigation, after which the ED filed a case against the same suspects under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).