Sisodia to stay in CBI custody, says 'harassed'

A Delhi court on Saturday extended by two days the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, while he complained that "repeated questioning for 9-10 hours" over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy amounted to "mental harassment".

- Deepankar Malviya letters hindustantimes.com

Delhi Rouse Avenue court, while extending Sisodia's custody, observed that his confrontation with two material witnesses remains to be done and a key file is yet to be traced.

The Delhi deputy CM was arrested by CBI on February 26 after prolonged interrogation. A day later, he was produced before the court and was sent to five days' CBI custody. On Saturday, the central agency sought extension of his custody by three days, but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's counsel opposed the application.

Advocate Pankaj Gupta and special public prosecutor Praneet Sharma submitted that Sisodia was confronted with some key witnesses but his behaviour during the confrontation was "uncooperative" and "evasive".

They also submitted that a major portion of the time during the five-day custody was consumed in a petition filed by Sisodia before the Supreme Court and in getting him medically examined every 48 hours.

The CBI counsel further sought three days' custody stating they have to confront Sisodia with a few excise officials and to trace a certain missing document that pertains to a Cabinet note prepared with respect to the excise policy.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Sisodia along with senior advocate Mohit Mathur, vehemently opposed the application stating that non-cooperation and waiting for him to confess cannot be a ground for seeking custody remand.