Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia till May 31 in the Delhi liquor excise policy case. Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023, after arrest by the CBI. Thereafter, he was arrested by the ED. The probe agencies had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval.
The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said. His former boss, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also arrested in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped liquor police. He is currently out on interim bail to campaign for his party for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The Delhi high court is expected to deliver its verdict on Sisodia's bail pleas linked to money laundering and corruption cases lodged by the ED and CBI respectively.