AAP leader Manish Sisodia's ED custody extended by 5 days

A Delhi court today extended AAP leader Manish Sisodia's custody by five days after Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought more time for investigations. The ED told the court that crucial information had come up during Sisodia's custody and he had to confronted with other accused persons. On March 10, the court had earlier sent Sisodia to ED custody, which ended today.

Heavy security deployment was made inside and outside the Rouse Avenue Court premises. The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9 in the Tihar jail, where he was lodged in connection with a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case pertaining to alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. The CBI had arrested Sisodia on February 26.


The central probe agency told the court today that said voluminous data from Sisodia's email and mobile, etc. is being forensically analysed. Opposing the central probe agency's plea, Sisodia's lawyer said there is not a whisper from the agency regarding the proceeds of the crime, which is fundamental to the case.

He further said there is no justification for the extension of custody and Sisodia was confronted only with four people during his earlier seven-day custody.

The court today allowed Manish Sisodia to sign cheques for his family's expenses.

Senior AAP leader Raghav Chadha today claimed that the central probe agencies only have "malicious and fabricated stories" against former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. He also said that ED officers have questioned Sisodia for only 15 hours during his seven-day remand.

"The central agencies don't have any evidence against Manish Sisodia. They only have malicious and fabricated stories against him. The CBI and the ED asked same questions to Sisodia during his interrogation and purpose of doing this was to keep Sisodia behind the bars," he alleged. (With Agency Inputs)