Delhi liquor scam: Court remands Manish Sisodia in 5-day CBI custody; KCR, Opposition assail Centre

During the hearing, which lasted for more than an hour, Sisodia’s counsel said it was the lieutenant governor who approved the changes in the excise policy, and that the central probe agency was going after the elected government.

No evidence, claims Sisodia

Sisodia, through his counsel, claimed that there was no evidence against him and opposed the CBI’s plea for his remand.

“I am the finance minister. I have to present the budget…. what changed yesterday that the finance minister was to be placed under custody? Was he not available for the next few days? Or was this arrest done for an ulterior motive? This case is an assault on an individual as well as the institution. Remand will send a message, this is a fit case for declining remand,” Sisodia told the court.

He submitted that he acted as a member of the Delhi government and hence the decision could neither be attributed to him nor questioned.

“I can’t do anything. It has to be approved by the appropriate authority,” he said.

Counsel for the probe agency submitted that the arrested minister’s custody was required for effective interrogation in the case.

Related: ED questions Kavitha’s ex-CA to uncover details of ‘South Group’

More argument

Sisodia claimed that he had no role in the case but the probe showed he personally took decisions, the CBI submitted.

Sisodia’s counsel, while opposing the probe agency’s plea for custody, submitted that the CBI said he changed his cellphones, but that was not a crime.

Counsel said the policy was implemented after taking suggestions even from the Delhi lieutenant governor and that since it required consultations, there was no chance of conspiracy. “I have tried to keep everything open,” he said.

Earlier, the CBI brought Sisodia to the Rouse Avenue court amid a high-security presence. There was a heavy security presence in and outside the Rouse Avenue Courts premises.

Opposition slams Centre

The arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI in the Delhi liquor scam elicited a barrage of criticism from the Opposition parties across the country.

Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao condemned the arrest. He also claimed that the arrest was a ploy to divert people’s attention from the Adanai-Modi “nexus”.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Monday, also lashed out at the BJP over the arrest and said the central agencies were being used to intimidate the opposition parties and termed it as an attack on democracy.

Vijayan said the centre was attempting to destabilise the Opposition-ruled State governments in the country and termed it as a move to divert the attention from the issues of joblessness and economic crisis.

“The arrest of @msisodia by CBI is another example of how @BJP4India misuses the Union Government’s agencies to intimidate the opposition. It’s a blatant abuse of power and an attack on democracy. Such repression undermines the very foundation of our nation and should be resisted,” Vijayan tweeted.

The arrest of @msisodia by CBI is another example of how @BJP4India misuses the Union Government's agencies to intimidate the opposition. It's a blatant abuse of power and an attack on democracy. Such repression undermines the very foundation of our nation and should be resisted.

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) February 27, 2023

Taking serious exception to Sisodia’s arrest, BRS working president and Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao, on Sunday, described the act as undemocratic and vindictive.

Describing the arrest as the acme of the BJP’s politics of spite, he said that the saffron party had ordered it after the apex court had censured it in connection with the Delhi mayoral election. After the mayoralty went to AAP, the BJP, unable to come to terms with reality, had begun the crackdown on the party, he said.

The BRS working president also arraigned the BJP for its vindictive politics whenever any Opposition party questioned it on its inept handling of issues or its half-baked policies

Modi’s Operandi is clear

Target opposition parties by all means at his disposal; Either split the parties Or poach their MLAs & dislodge elected Governments

If nothing works, use their only allies; CBI, ED & IT to harass and launch a smear campaign

Back it with Paid Troll Army

— KTR (@KTRBRS) February 26, 2023

This comes even as a BJP leader warned that Telangana MLS K Kavitha, who is KCR’s daughter and KTR’s sister, would be arrested soon in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case.

(With PTI inputs)