Former Delhi deputy chief minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday in connection with the excise policy case.
Interestingly, Sisodia was arrested a day before his bail hearing at the CBI court. The 51-year-old was placed under arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following his second round of questioning at the Tihar jail, they said.
The agency alleged Sisodia was “evasive” in his replies and was “not cooperating in the probe.”
Sisodia has been sent to Tihar jail.
Reacting to the sudden development, Sisodia’s colleague and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his displeasure. He said, “Manish was first arrested by the CBI. CBI did not find any evidence, no money was found in the raid. There is a bail hearing tomorrow. Manish would have been released tomorrow. So today ED arrested him. They have only one aim – to keep Manish inside at all costs. By creating new fake cases everyday. The public is watching. public will answer.”
The first round of Sisodia’s questioning by the ED took place on March 7.
Sisodia’s bail plea to be heard on Friday
A Delhi court is likely to hear on Friday the bail application of Sisodia. Special Judge M K Nagpal, who sent Sisodia to judicial custody on March 6, had directed the CBI to file its response to the AAP leader’s application by March 10.
In his application, Sisodia stated that he joined the investigation as and when called for by the central probe agency.
He further stated that no fruitful purpose would be served by keeping him in custody as all the recoveries have already been made, adding that the other accused persons arrested in this case have already been granted bail.
Asserting that he had held an important constitutional post of deputy CM of Delhi, Sisodia said he has deep roots in the society.
The CBI on February 26 arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
The court had allowed the CBI to interrogate him in its custody for seven days.
