Manish Sisodia sent to 5-day CBI custody in liquor policy case

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is entangled in an alleged corruption case over liquor policy, has been sent to the CBI custody till March 4 for questioning.

Delhi court ordered the AAP leader’s custody after he was arrested yesterday, which led to massive protests in Delhi.

The Central Bureau of Investigation reportedly argued in the court that Manish Sisodia was unable to explain the six contentious provisions that were not in the first draft of the liquor policy.

The CBI, according to a report by NDTV, contended that the changes were made for kickbacks of Rs 30 crore from liquor lobby.

The central agency alleged that a draft note recovered from Sisodia showed changes in profit margin from 5 per cent to 12 per cent.

The investigation reportedly revealed Sisodia had handed the draft note to Excise Commissioner after removing the opinion of legal expert on it.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan presenting Sisodia asked if the inability to answer the CBI's questions was the ground for remand.

The senior advocate argued that the Lieutenant Governor had signed the liquor policy in May 2021.

Following Sisodia’a arrest, protesting AAP workers came out in the streets of Delhi, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Bhopal and a few other cities.

Police blocked AAP workers from taking out a march towards the BJP headquarters in Delhi, which ended up in chaotic scenes of scuffles.

AAP workers who tried to scale the barricades in Delhi were arrested and removed from the scene.

Sisodia, who was arrested by CBI yesterday after questioning him for eight hours, spent the night at the CBI headquarters in Delhi.

A team of doctors from AIIMS examined the AAP leader at the CBI headquarters.