'Modiji may conspire as much as he wants,' says Manish Sisodia as court extends custody till May 8

Excise policy scam: Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the court extended his judicial custody till May 8. 

While being taken to court amid police security, Sisodia told the media persons that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to 'stop Arvind Kejriwal's work no matter how much he tries'. He said, "Modi ji may try as much as he wants, but he won't be able to stop the work of Kejriwal ji in Delhi. Modi ji may conspire as much as he wants."

This comes after Rouse Avenue Court denied bail to Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case in connection with an alleged Excise scam in the national capital. Special Judge MK Nagpal on Friday dismissed Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Earlier, appearing for Sisodia, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan submitted that it is not the job of the ED to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet, the job of the ED should be to tell that if any crime was committed, who benefited from it.

The lawyer said that Sisodia cannot be kept in custody only on the basis of speculation. He claimed that no money laundering case is made out against the Aam Aadmi Party leader. Enforcement Directorate had opposed the bail plea and said "an illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks".

Appearing for ED, Zohaib Hossain submitted before the Court that all the elements of conspiracy are present here in the matter. Conspiracy is hatched in secrecy, the policy made in the public domain, submitted ED lawyer and also said every process of activity dealing with proceeds of crime is money laundering.

About the Excise Policy scam

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licenses to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped. The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.

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