Delhi court extends ED custody of Manish Sisodia till March 22 in Excise Policy case

A Delhi court on Friday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till March 22 in the money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam..Special Judge MK Nagpal ordered that Sisodia be produced in court next at 2 pm on March 22.The judge said that ED's request for extension of Sisodia's custody is justified as his physical custody is necessary for effective interrogation in light of fresh incriminating material found. Judge Nagpal rejected the argument the previous custody was not propertly utitlised by the agency or that Sisodia was interrogated only for 15 hours in seven days. "...though this court is of view that it [ED custody] could have been more effectively utilised by starting the investigation everyday as early as possible," the court said..The ED arrested Sisodia on March 9 after questioning him for several hours in the Tihar Jail. ED is probing the money laundering angle in the Delhi excise policy case.Sisodia was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy case on February 26 and is already in judicial custody in that case.He remained in CBI custody till March 6. After that, he was sent to judicial custody.He was subsequently remanded to ED custody on March 10..It has been alleged that Sisodia and other members of the AAP connived to grant liquor licenses to certain traders in exchange for bribes.The central agencies' case is that the excise policy was tweaked and the profit margins were changed in a manner that benefited certain traders and kickbacks were received in exchange for the same.The ED and the CBI registered cases in relation to the alleged scam after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe based on a report by the Delhi Chief Secretary. The report claimed that Sisodia violated statutory provisions and notified a policy that had significant financial implications.Although Sisodia was not named in the CBI's chargesheet, the probe remained open against him and some others.AAP has denied the allegations and maintained that Sisodia is innocent.It is Sisodia's stance that the policy and the changes made in it were approved by the LG and that CBI is now going after the policy decisions of an elected government..During the hearing today, advocate Zoheb Hossain appearing for the ED said that the agency has been able to make some fresh findings against Sisodia. Hossain also said that Sisodia changed his mobile phone the very same day the Lieutenant Governor forwarded the complaint against him to the CBI."Investigation reveals that he was using a mobile phone for nearly 8 months but it was changed on July 22, 2022, the same day when LG forwarded the complaint to CBI. He says it was damaged. The timing is very important to note," it was submitted.Hossain also said that the ED is waiting for mail "The members of South Group were staying in Oberoi hotel in 2021. The business centre of the hotel was used by the members. During custodial interrogation, we have recorded his statement. We are waiting for a mail dump from CBI," he said.Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for Sisodia interjected."Are we hearing a CBI remand case or ED remand. All these facts were part of the CBI application as also their first application," Mathur said.He also said that there is no whisper about the proceeds of the crime."There is not a whisper about the proceeds of crime which is fundamental to allegations of money laundering. In the seven days custody, total 11 hours of investigation has happened and I have been confronted with four people only," Mathur said."We have CCTV footage to show that the statement is not correct. Yesterday alone it was six hours," Hossan rebutted."Just a day before all this cosmetic work is done," Mathur responded."This change of phone was part of the CBI remand and now their remand also. They need to justify why they want it. One agency has taken the email dump and investigated me October last year. They have to explain what they have done since registration of ECIR. It was done in August last year," Mathur stated.Mathur said that the ED has to justify how Sisodia is connected to the proceeds of the alleged crime."Remand cannot be for the asking. Everything i have heard from them is regarding the main CBI case. They need to show how I am involved with the proceeds of crime. They investigate for seven months and then seek remand therefore they need to show that they have something," he stated.The ED cannot be a proxy for the CBI, Mathur contended."Are they (ED) proxy agencies for the CBI? CBI calls the same people and so do these people. They had seven days and only four people confronted with. Even otherwise, confrontation does not need custody," Mathur said.Sisodia also addressed the Court and said,"They interrogate me for half an hour then take a break....First half m koi questioning nhi hoti. Second half main aadha ek ghanta hota hai (There is no questioning in the first half of the day. They question me for half an hour to one hour during the second half). Yesterday I asked them to question me and finish." ."In the CBI case they are saying mental harassment is happening because he is being questioned for long hours," Hossain shot back.