Court defers Manish Sisodia's bail plea, CBI remand extended till March 6

The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court will hear the matter next on March 10. The former Deputy Chief Minister was arrested by the CBI in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Delhi:The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court Saturday extended former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's CBI remand till March 6. The court will hear the case next on March 10. Sisodia who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy case was produced at the court after his 5-day custody ended. The CBI sought custody for another three days before the trial court alleging that Sisodia was not cooperating in the investigation.

The former Delhi Minister appearing in the court alleged that the central investigation agency of mental harassment. "They are making me sit for questioning for as long as 9-10 hours and asking the same questions again and again. This is no less than mental harassment," ANI reported Manish Sisodia as saying to the court.

Sisodia approached the Rouse Avenue Court for bail on Friday claiming that “no fruitful purpose would be served” keeping him in custody “as all the recoveries have already been made”. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers protested against his arrest near their party office in Delhi.

The AAP leader who has already resigned from the cabinet was arrested by the central investigation agency on February 26. Sisodia in his bail application said that he had joined the investigation as and when called for by the CBI. In his bail application, he added that he has held the "important constitutional post of Deputy CM of Delhi" and has "deep roots in the society".

Earlier the Rouse Avenue Court had remanded Sisodia to 5-day CBI custody under the direction that all interrogations during the remand period should be conducted under CCTV coverage in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. The Rouse Avenue Court also directed the central agency to preserve those CCTV footage for reference.

The trial court observed that though Sisodia had joined the investigation earlier on two occasions, he has failed to provide satisfactory answers to most of the questions directed at him. It further said that Sisodia has failed to legitimately explain the incriminating evidence which has allegedly surfaced against him.

The Supreme Court had also refused to hear his plea earlier in the week saying that it would set a 'wrong precedent'. The top court also directed him to approach other remedial methods available at his disposal. The case has got much traction with the ruling BJP using it to its full advantage by criticising the Kejriwal government on the issue of alleged corruption.