The judicial custody of Manish Sisodia, former Delhi Deputy CM, has been extended till May 8 by a local court in connection with a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), linked to an alleged excise policy scam.This extension followed the same court's extension of judicial custody to May 7 in a parallel case relating to the matter, being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sisodia had withdrawn his interim bail plea last week to campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court presided over Sisodia's hearing on Friday, following the expiration of his previously extended judicial custody.
The court had earlier reserved its judgment for April 30 on Sisodia's regular bail plea, filed in both the CBI and ED cases. Sisodia's counsel, advocate Mohit Mathur, argued against the delay in completing the probe to support his bail plea, while his client never gets implicated for any loss to the exchequer or private consumers. He said this was a delay in the trial, pointing out the six-month old order of the Supreme Court permitting Sisodia to go to court, and the investigation should have been completed by now.
Mathur also argued that bail be granted by pointing to a case of another accused, Benoy Babu, who was granted bail, based on the argument that Sisodia no longer wields any position of influence. He also pointed to the delay in the trial, citing the six-month-old order of the Supreme Court permitting Sisodia to go to court, and the investigation should have been completed by now.
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