Delhi Excise Policy Case: Manish Sisodia's CBI custody extended by 2 days

A special court on Saturday extended the CBI custody of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by two more days in the excise policy case.

CBI's counsel sought three days of further custodial interrogation of Sisodia, saying that he was not cooperating with the probe. The counsel said the agency needed to confront some individuals with Sisodia.

Opposing the demand, Sisodia's lawyers argued that the alleged non-cooperation could not be a ground for extension of remand. It was also argued that the medical condition of Sisodia's wife should be factored in.


Special CBI judge MK Nagpal directed the agency not to ask the same questions to Sisodia that it had already asked. Addressing the court, Sisodia said the agency was "not using third degree" but was making him sit for eight to nine hours and asking him the same questions again and again. The court will hear Sisodia's bail plea on March 10.

On February 27, a local court had remanded Sisodia in CBI's custody for five days. The court, on February 27, held that Sisodia's subordinates had "disclosed certain facts" against him and some "documentary evidence" had also surfaced.

Appearing on CBI's behalf, special public prosecutor Pankaj Gupta during the last hearing contended that CBI's probe showed Sisodia "verbally directed" the Delhi excise secretary to create a new cabinet note to alter the excise policy. "He was heading the group of ministers constituted by the Delhi cabinet on excise policy...The profit margin was enhanced from 5% to 12%. He could not explain why the changes were made," the public prosecutor had argued.

The CBI wanted to secure all phones Sisodia had used since January 2020, but he destroyed three of his four phones and submitted only one, the public prosecutor said.