Delhi excise policy scam case: Former deputy chief minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Monday was sent to judicial custody till March 20 in the Delhi liquor policy scam case. The court, however, will hear Sisodia's bail plea on March 10.
According to reports, the CBI did not demand further custody of the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, therefore, the court sent Sisodia to judicial custody till March 20.
During the court arguments, CBI counsel said, "...at this stage, we are not seeking further CBI remand but in the next 15 days we might seek it."
Sisodia's lawyer sought the court's permission for him to carry a pair of spectacles, diary, pen, and a Gita during his judicial custody period. The court granted the permission.
Rouse Avenue Court's Special Judge MK Nagpal has also allowed Sisodia to have medicines prescribed in his MLC conducted by CBI officials.
As requested by Sisodia's side, the court directed Jail Superintendent to consider the request of keeping the accused in the vipaasana cell(meditation cell).Earlier, the Rouse Avenue District Court on Saturday extended Sisodia's CBI remand till March 6.
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.
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.
Poster supporting Sisodia: Police to take action
The Delhi Police will question the principal and the management committee coordinator of a government school over a poster pasted at its main gate supporting Sisodia following his arrest, officials said on Sunday.
An FIR was registered against school management committee coordinator Gazala for allegedly pasting the poster supporting Sisodia.
"As part of the investigation, we will question both the school principal and its management committee coordinator. They will be questioned related to the incident and bound down in connection with the case," a senior police officer said.
The complaint sent by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) regarding alleged misuse of pictures of children by some leaders will also be probed alongside, he said. The complaint to NCPCR was made by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari.
Reacting to the NCPCR action on Tiwari's complaint, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was Manoj Tiwari who sang the song “Baby beer peeke naache” and if someone goes through the lyrics they will understand how disgraceful they are.
"How are children supposed to react to such kind of songs? Why didn't the panel take action against that? Before the Gujarat elections, the prime minister visited the state and clicked pictures in a fake classroom. Won't that impact the mindset of the children? Won't they understand that their prime minister has been building fake classrooms for photos.
"The NCPCR's job is to act on injustice against children. There are several instances across the country where children have been getting sexually exploited every day. These panels are being used politically these days. They should be turned into a neutral body for better utilisation of these institutions," the AAP leader told a press conference.
On Friday morning, Gazala, in connivance with the principal of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidayalaya in Shastri Park, asked the girl students to arrange some desks at the school entrance and pasted a large poster of Sisodia at the main gate, according to the FIR.
The BJP on Thursday claimed that the Delhi government had set up "I love Manish Sisodia" desks in state-run schools to rally support for the arrested leader, a charge denied by the AAP dispensation.
A case was registered against Gazala under section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, police said. The principal is in-charge of the school and provided the desks, the FIR said.
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.
Know more about excise policy scam case & Sisodia's alleged 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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