Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, has been remanded to CBI custody until March 4th following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) in connection to an alleged corruption case. The charges relate to the excise policy for the year 2021-22, which has since been scrapped. The CBI had requested five-day custody to question Sisodia, which was granted by Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal.
Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) had stated that a former auditor of BRS MLC, a Hyderabad-based Chartered Accountant named Butchibabu Gorantla, has been arrested in connection with the case.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, who represented Sisodia, said that his client has been cooperating with the CBI during the investigation. He argued before the court that the remand was unnecessary and that the court needs to ensure that the central agency has followed the legal mandates of Section 41 and Section 41A CrPC.
Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, who also appeared for Sisodia, stated that the policy had undergone discussions and deliberations before coming into force, leaving no room for conspiracy. Senior Advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, who also represented Sisodia, questioned the timing of the arrest and said that the case was an “assault to an individual as well as the institution.”
Sisodia was arrested on Sunday following an interrogation of more than 8 hours. He had been previously questioned on October 17th last year, and the chargesheet in the matter was filed on November 25th, 2022. According to CBI officials, Sisodia gave evasive replies and did not cooperate with the investigation despite being confronted with evidence.
The CBI FIR states that Sisodia and others were instrumental in “recommending and taking decisions” regarding the Excise Policy 2021-22 “without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post-tender.”
The arrest comes at a critical time when Sisodia needs to present the budget, and his supporters have been quick to defend him against what they see as a politically motivated attack. As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen what the outcome will be for the Deputy Chief Minister and how this will impact the political climate in Delhi.
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