Delhi court extends Sisodia’s judicial custody, allows counsel to inspect docus

New Delhi, Dec 22 : A Delhi court on Friday extended till January 19 the judicial custody of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court also granted time to Sisodia’s counsel to inspect the documents at the CBI headquarters till January 15.

The central probe agency was directed to employ sufficient officers at inspection and to file a compliance report.

Sisodia was produced before the court on expiry of his previously extended one month judicial custody.

The court had, during the last hearing, granted Sisodia’s application requesting access to his bank statement for a specific period.

Sisodia had apprised the court that the statement was withheld by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing the case, due to the attachment of his savings account.

The judge had allowed the request, directing the branch manager of the bank to provide a copy of the bank statement to any of Sisodia’s authorised counsels.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged involvement in corruption concerning the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

The ED had then arrested him on March 9 in connection with a money laundering case stemming from the excise policy matter. On Tuesday, the court extended Sisodia’s judicial custody in connection with the ED case till December 11.

Besides, the court had also said that the trial in the matter should start as soon as possible.

In July, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to Sisodia in the excise policy case being probed by the ED.