Excise policy case: Delhi court extends Sisodia’s judicial custody till May 1

After the end of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia judicial custody period he was produced physically before the Court

New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till May 1, in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy.

Sisodia was produced physically on Monday before the Court from Tihar Jail after the end of his judicial custody period.

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Earlier on April 3, the same court extended Sisodia’s judicial custody till April 17.

Sisodia was arrested on February 26, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

On Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was questioned for nearly 9 hours in the matter in which former deputy chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who held the excise portfolio and several other ministries, was arrested last month.

Kejriwal, who on Sunday was questioned for over nine hours at the CBI headquarters in the national capital, said that the probe agency does not have any bit of evidence against the Aam Aadmi Party government that “it has committed any wrong in the framing of now scrapped new excise policy.” Kejriwal arrived at the CBI office at around 11 am, accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other party leaders. He was questioned for nearly nine years.

When asked about the questions that were asked him during the questioning, he said that they covered everything from the framing of the policy to the end of it.

“They asked everything including why we started the policy and how we did it. They asked me nearly 56 questions starting from 2020 till the end,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that he has not been summoned again.

CBI, in a statement, said that it recorded Kejriwal’s statement in connection with the Excise policy case on Sunday and said that it will be verified and collated with the “available evidence”.

According to a statement by the CBI, the Chief Minister of Delhi was issued a notice under section 160 Cr.P.C for his examination in this case on 16.04.2023 and answering various questions related to the case. He joined the investigation today and his statement has been recorded u/s. 161 Cr.P.C.