Delhi excise policy scam case: The Rouse Avenue District Court on Saturday extended Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's CBI remand till March 6, Monday.
Notably, Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam and was earlier produced before the Rouse Avenue District Court today after the expiry of his custodial remand.
Sisodia was produced before the court at around 2:00 pm on Saturday. As per sources, CBI had sought the 3-day custodial remand of Sisodia. During the hearing, Sisodia claimed that the sleuths were forcing him to sit for more than 9-10 hours and added they were asking the same questions. He called the interrogation kinda "mental harassment". "They are making me sit for questioning for as long as 9-10 hours asking me the same questions again and again. It not less than mental harassment," said the former Delhi minister.
Earlier, the CBI sources have claimed that the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister was still evasive and was not cooperating. The central probe agency sources said that in January they seized a computer from the office of Sisodia. Later, it was learnt that files and other data were deleted from the computer. The CBI then sent the computer to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve the deleted files. Now the FSL has given them a report and retrieved the whole file deleted from the computer.
AAP protest in Delhi:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers protested against the arrest of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia near its party office in the national capital today.
Apart from this, Sisodia was also confronted with the statement of an IAS official, who turned approver against him and got his statement recorded under section 164 of the CrPC. A day after his arrest Sisodia resigned from his post. Satyendar Jain, who is currently in jail and was holding the Delhi Health Minister's post also resigned along with him.
Security arrangement:
Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), CRPF was deployed outside CBI headquarters before the agency produced arrested former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia before a local court at the end of his 5-day remand in the liquor policy case.
Know more about excise policy scam case & Sisodia's role:
The CBI has alleged in the remand paper that Sisodia played a crucial role in the Delhi excise policy scam.
"The report of the expert committee in connection with excise policy was changed by Sisodia only to benefit a few liquor businessmen. This was also done as through accused Vijay Nair, they had collected Rs 100 crore from South Group being controlled by South India-based liquor businessmen and politician. They would be more benefited through the policy."
"Payment of Rs 100 crore was done through hawala channel, which we have traced. We have learnt that between September and October 2021, Sisodia changed around 14 cellphones and four SIM cards. The purpose of changing the cell phone was nothing but to destroy the evidence. Devender Sharma, the secretary of Sisodia, had provided all these mobile phones, we have his statement in this respect," said the source.
The CBI has already filed a charge-sheet against seven persons and they are all set to file a supplementary charge-sheet in the case.
(With agencies inputs)
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