Excise policy case: Delhi court takes cognisance of ED's supplementary charge sheet against Sisodia
Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 May, 2023 10:19 AM
New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) A Delhi court on Tuesday took cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) supplementary charge sheet against former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, in connection with the excise policy case.
Special judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court took cognisance after having reserved the order on May 19.
The court then issued summons to Sisodia for June 1. The same court had on May 23 extended the Aam Aadmi Party leader's judicial custody for the same date in the ED case.
On May 27, after taking cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) supplementary charge sheet, the court had issued summons to Sisodia and three others for June 2. On May 12, Sisodia's judicial custody was also extended for the same date in the CBI case.
The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9, after the CBI arrested him on February 26 this year.
Special public prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta filed the charge sheet, which runs into over 2,100 pages.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court dismissed Sisodia's bail plea in the excise policy case being probed by the CBI.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma pronounced the order on his bail plea after having reserved it on May 11. The judge said that the nature of the allegations is quite serious that the excise policy was formed at the instance of the South Group with mala fide intentions to give undue advantages to them.
While denying Sisodia bail, the judge also said that Sisodia being an influential person can influence the witnesses, who are also public servants.
Sisodia had challenged special judge M.K. Nagpal's order denying him bail on March 31.
Last week, the country had seen a surge with 18,450 fresh cases, a substantial rise from the previous week's 8,781 cases. The Omicron variant XBB.1.16 is believed to be behind the sudden surge of the cases.
As many as two dozen fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire and the operation lasted more than six hours. More than two dozen fire tenders are on the spot, trying to douse the inferno.
Officials of the central jail have not confirmed his release prematurely. Sidhu on May 20, 2022, surrendered before a court in Patiala in a 1988 road rage case that had led to the death of a 65-year-old man.
Out of total 36 people who died in the heart wrenching incident, the youngest victim was a two-year-old boy, Hitansh, while the eldest one was an 80-year-old woman identified as Jayvanti Devi, according to police. Most of the victims were women.
The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave nod for hiking the compensation due to unseasonal rains by 25 per cent per acre. A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at its meeting held here.
The court had, on March 20, sent him to judicial custody till April 3. Judge Nagpal observed that the payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore was meant for him and his other colleagues in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
