Manish Sisodia to stay in jail as judicial custody extended till March 20

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent former former deputy chief minister of Delhi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia to judicial custody till 20 March, in the case pertaining to Delhi excise policy case.

Sisodia was produced before special judge M K Nagpal on expiry of his seven-day custodial interrogation allowed by the court earlier.

According to news agency ANI, the CBI counsel said that at this stage, the central agency is not seeking further CBI remand of the AAP leader but might seek it in the next 15 days. This comes after the court extended Sisodia's CBI custody by two days as the agency sought to confront him with material witnesses.

A jail official said Sisodia was brought to Tihar following the court order and he will be lodged in jail number-1 after the completion of the due formalities.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on the evening of February 26 over alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22. He was granted five-day CBI custody on Monday.

Earlier, Supreme Court refused to intervene on the matter and pointed out that he had sufficient legal remedies before approaching the highest court. Later, he moved Delhi's Rouse Court for a regular bail which will be heard on March 10.

Meanwhile, the AAP said the CBI had no grounds to seek Sisodia's further interrogation in the excise policy case.

"There was no hearing on his bail plea. The court had to consider two options -- either send him to judicial custody or extend his police custody. The CBI had no questions, no grounds to seek his interrogation. They have no documentary evidence," AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed.

Attacking the BJP, he said its spokespersons have been alleging on TV debates that the excise policy case is an open-and-shut case and showing fake documents to claim that there was a scam. "If they have evidence, why don't they hand it over to the CBI," the AAP leader asked.

The court allowed Sisodia to carry the Bhagavad Gita, spectacles and medicines, etc. to jail and directed the Tihar jail authorities to consider his request to be allowed to do Vipassana meditation.

"Everyone knows that he likes to write. He has also written a book 'Shiksha' that is widely popular and is read by people to know about Delhi's education revolution. He has been a practitioner of Vipassana and the court has asked the jail superintendent to consider his request. It is a good time to work on oneself," Bharadwaj said.

He said the court will hear Sisodia's bail plea on March 10. "If he is granted bail, his judicial custody will end," the AAP spokesperson added.

The CBI had arrested Sisodia last week in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22.