The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Friday remanded former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 17 in the alleged money laundering case, reported Live Law.
The ED in its plea had sought 10-day remand of Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. It had arrested Sisodia on Thursday after questioning him for hours in Tihar jail.
The Rouse Avenue Court had asked the central probe agency to produce the former Delhi minister at 2 PM today.
Advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for Enforcement Directorate (ED) and senior advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Sisodia.
When Krishnan told Special judge MK Nagpal, who was presiding over the matter, that they were ready to argue for bail, the judge said, “First I’ll see remand part. Then will see if time is left for bail,” as reported by Live Law.
Hosen argued that allegations against Sisodia said that the Delhi Excise Policy was implemented as part of a “conspiracy” to give wholesale business to certain “private companies”.
“There was a conspiracy to frame the policy in such a manner so as to ensure illegal benefits to some persons. There was no suggestion from the public to fix 12 per cent of wholesale profit margin to private entities,” Hossain argued.
The ED also apprised the court of the meeting between Aam Aadmi Party
Sisodia, 51, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 in connection with a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).
The CBI said that he gave “evasive” replies and didn’t cooperate with the investigation.
Later, a Delhi court sent him to judicial custody till March 20, after CBI didn’t seek his further remand.
The ED had filed its chargesheet last year, taking cognisance of the case registered by the CBI. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case on the recommendation of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena based on findings of Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials had said.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, and undue favours extended to licence holders. The agencies alleged that the “scam” led to the loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.