Manish Sisodia to be produced at Delhi court in excise policy scam case

The former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam, will be produced before the Rouse Avenue District Court after the expiry of his custodial remand, sources said.

The source said that Sisodia will be produced by 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The sources have also claimed that they would further seek the custodial remand of Sisodia.

The CBI sources have claimed that the former Aam Aadmi Party Minister was still evasive and was not cooperating.

The central probe agency sources said that in January they seized a computer from the office of Sisodia. Later, it was learnt that files and other data were deleted from the computer. The CBI then sent the computer to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve the deleted files. Now the FSL has given them a report and retrieved the whole file deleted from the computer.

Apart from this, Sisodia was also confronted with the statement of an IAS official, who turned approver against him and got his statement recorded under section 164 of the CrPC.

A day after his arrest Sisodia resigned from his post. Satyendar Jain, who is currently in jail and was holding the Delhi Health Minister's post also resigned along with him.

The CBI has alleged in the remand paper that Sisodia played a crucial role in the Delhi excise policy scam.

"The report of the expert committee in connection with excise policy was changed by Sisodia only to benefit a few liquor businessmen. This was also done as through accused Vijay Nair, they had collected Rs 100 crore from South Group being controlled by South India-based liquor businessmen and politician. They would be more benefited through the policy. Payment of Rs 100 crore was done through hawala channel, which we have traced. We have learnt that between September and October 2021, Sisodia changed around 14 cellphones and four SIM cards. The purpose of changing the cell phone was nothing but to destroy the evidence. Devender Sharma, the secretary of Sisodia, had provided all these mobile phones, we have his statement in this respect," said the source.

The CBI has already filed a charge-sheet against seven persons and they are all set to file a supplementary charge-sheet in the case.

--IANS

atk/khz/