New Delhi, May 27 (). A Delhi court on Saturday took cognizance of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) supplementary charge sheet against former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and three others in the excise policy case.
Special Judge MK Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court took cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet after reserving the order on May 19. The court has issued summons to Manish Sisodia, Arjun Pandey, Buchi Babu and Amandeep Dhall for June 2.
On May 12, Sisodia’s judicial custody was extended till June 2 in the CBI case. The court had also reserved an order on May 19 taking cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) supplementary charge sheet against Sisodia in the same case and will pronounce the order on May 30.
The CBI in its supplementary charge sheet has alleged that Sisodia had procured some emails of his own accord through Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman Zakir Khan to manipulate the process of seeking comments/suggestions regarding the liquor policy.
The CBI alleged that Sisodia formulated and implemented the excise policy to facilitate monopoly and cartelization of liquor trade in Delhi.
The probe agency has claimed that Sisodia was not happy with the recommendations of the expert committee report submitted by former Excise Commissioner Ravi Dhawan on October 13, 2020 and new Excise Commissioner Rahul Singh has been appointed by the Excise Department to seek comments from the public and stakeholders. Instructed to put the report on the portal.
The CBI has alleged that Sisodia destroyed the draft cabinet note prepared by the Excise Department and placed before the Council of Ministers in its meeting held on January 28, 2021.
In the draft cabinet note, the then CJI of India Ranjan Gogoi and K.G. Balakrishnan, Senior Advocate and former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi and others were obtained.
The same court had on Tuesday extended Sisodia’s judicial custody till June 1 in the Delhi Excise Policy case being probed by the ED. The jail authorities were directed to consider his request for providing him chair and table for the purpose of study.
Sisodia was arrested by the ED on March 9 after the CBI arrested him on February 26 this year. The ED has alleged that Sisodia was the mastermind behind the entire excise policy case and had deliberately leaked the policy to co-accused for bribe.
Last month, Justice Nagpal had denied bail to Sisodia, saying the evidence, prima facie, showed his involvement in the crime.
FZ/SGK
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