Today, 26th April, Delhi Court extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia and others in connection to the Excise Policy Case. The case involves allegations related to irregularities in the Delhi government’s liquor policy. The extension suggests ongoing legal proceedings and the seriousness of the charges against the accused. Further developments in the case are anticipated as investigations continue.
New Delhi: On Friday, a court extended the judicial custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia, Vijay Nair, and other co-accused until May 8, in connection with a money laundering case arising from the alleged Delhi excise policy scandal.
The court also issued directives to the ED to estimate and report the time required to digitize the documents associated with the charge sheet, indicating a move towards more efficient handling of the substantial evidentiary details involved in the case.
The individuals involved were presented before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja via video conferencing as their prior custody period came to an end. In the proceedings, Judge Baweja instructed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide an estimated timeline for the digitization of documents pertinent to the charge sheet, highlighting the court’s move towards streamlining the judicial process.
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During the session, ED’s special public prosecutors, Naveen Kumar Matta and Simon Benjamin, expressed concerns that the accused intentionally slowing down the legal proceedings and showed reluctance to hasten the judicial process.
This case also involves notable figures such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K Kavitha, who have been placed in judicial custody until May 7. The ED implicated Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a primary beneficiary of the financial misdeeds linked to the alleged liquor scam.
On April 20, Manish Sisodia faced a setback when the court rejected his bail application. Sisodia requested interim bail to participate in the upcoming general elections, arguing his need to campaign. However, the court denied this request, influenced by the CBI’s argument that Sisodia could potentially disrupt the ongoing investigation and influence witnesses if released. Initially, Manish Sisodia taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, due to his alleged involvement in the Excise policy scam.
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Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him on March 9, 2023, in a related money laundering case that arose from the CBI’s findings.
Both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) brought allegations against the implicated parties, accusing them of manipulating the excise policy to unfairly benefit certain licensees. This includes accusations of waiving or reducing license fees and unlawfully extending L-1 licenses without proper authorization from the competent authorities.