Delhi court extends Sisodia's judicial custody, to hear bail plea on April 12

A Delhi court on Wednesday, April 5, extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia till April 17 in connection with the excise policy case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court will hear his bail plea on April 12.

Appearing for Sisodia, Advocate Vivek Jain submitted that no offence of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is made out against him. After hearing the arguments at length by Sisodia's counsel, Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court, listed his bail for April 12. A copy of the detailed order is awaited.

Representing the ED, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Zoheb Hussain sought time to make his submissions as they are gathering some fresh evidence related to hawala operators. "There is some crucial evidence that is still being unearthed," Hossain said.

On March 21, Sisodia moved a plea seeking bail in ED's case. After the CBI arrested the AAP leader on February 26, the ED also arrested him in the same case on March 9. The probe agency had earlier claimed that within a span of one year, 14 phones have been destroyed and changed, and that Sisodia has been evasive from the start.