Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was sent to CBI custody for five days on February 27, will come out today, Friday, after being questioned in the matter regarding alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the liquor excise policy case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Sisodia on Sunday and sought five days of police custody citing that he was not cooperating with the investigation and not revealing facts.
AAP leaders and workers held protests in several states against the arrest of Sisodia by the CBI, with the party alleging that it was done to divert public attention from the Adani issue.
He even moved the Supreme Court of India against his arrest by the federal agency, however, it refused to entertain his plea and suggested Sisodia move the High Court.
“Just because the incident happened in Delhi, you cannot come here…you have your remedies,” the apex court told the arrested AAP leader.
Following SC’s decision, Sisodia and Satyendar Jain quit the Delhi cabinet on 28 February. Satyendar Jain has been in Tihar jail for 10 months after being arrested on money laundering charges.
Sisodia's arrest, one of the high-profile actions against an opposition leader, came about eight months after that of Satyendar Jain, who was then the Delhi health minister, in June last year.
In a lengthy resignation letter, the Aam Aadmi Party insisted that the allegations were ‘lies’ perpetuated by people who were ‘scared of Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of truth’.
“I am not their target, you are. Because today not only Delhi, the people of the whole country view you as a leader who has a vision for the country and by implementing that vision, also has the ability to bring big changes in the lives of the people,” the Delhi CM’s top lieutenant asserted in a letter to the CM.
The excise policy was scrapped in August last year and the Delhi lieutenant governor subsequently asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities and corruption involving government authorities, bureaucrats and liquor traders, among others.
