Delhi excise 'scam' case: ED seeks 10-day custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia

The Enforcement Directorate Friday produced former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, under arrest in a money laundering case related to the city government’s excise policy, before a special court and sought his custody for 10 days.

There was heavy security within and outside the Rouse Avenue Courts where Sisodia was produced amid protests by his Aam Aadmi Party and the rival BJP.

The supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest outside the court premises and raised slogans in Sisodia’s favour, while those of the BJP demonstrated demanding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation over the case.

The federal anti-money laundering probe agency produced Sisodia before special judge M K Nagpal and contended before him that the ”scam” started soon after the new excise policy was drafted by Sisodia and others.

The ED counsel said it had evidence against the senior AAP leader in the case.

The movement of tainted money through hawala channels was also being probed, he said, claiming Sisodia was part of the ”money laundering nexus”.

The ED arrested Sisodia on Thursday evening in the Tihar jail, where he was lodged in connection with a case being probed by the CBI pertaining to alleged corruption in formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22.