April 26th 2024.
In New Delhi, a local court has taken the decision to extend the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia until May 8. This is in connection with a money laundering case that is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, regarding an alleged excise policy scam. This decision was made on Friday, following a previous extension of Sisodia's custody until May 7 in a parallel case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
It was just last week that Sisodia withdrew his interim bail plea, as he wanted to focus on campaigning for his party, the Aam Aadmi Party, during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. On Friday, Sisodia was brought before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court, as his previous judicial custody had expired.
During the hearing, the court had reserved its judgement for April 30 on Sisodia's regular bail plea. This plea was made by Sisodia, who is seeking bail in both the CBI and ED cases. The ED had previously accused Sisodia and the other accused individuals of causing a delay in the trial of the case.
To support his bail plea, Sisodia's counsel, advocate Mohit Mathur, argued against the delay in completing the probe. He claimed that no evidence had been found linking his client to the alleged bribe money involved in the case. Mathur also emphasized that the alleged proceeds of crime had not been proven to cause any loss to the government or private consumers. Furthermore, he pointed out the delay in the trial, stating that the Supreme Court had allowed Sisodia to approach the court six months ago, and the investigation should have been completed by now.
In addition, Mathur mentioned the bail that had been granted to another accused in the case, Benoy Babu. He argued that Sisodia should also be granted bail, as he no longer holds a position of influence. The defense team presented a strong case for Sisodia's bail, emphasizing the lack of evidence and delay in the trial.
The court is expected to make a decision on Sisodia's bail plea on April 30. In the meantime, the former Deputy CM will remain in judicial custody until May 8.
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