Manish Sisodia remanded to ED custody until March 17

On Friday, tenth March 2023, a Delhi court docket remanded former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody until seventeenth March 2023. The court docket dominated this whereas listening to a cash laundering case filed in reference to the Delhi liquor coverage concerning the excise coverage for the yr 2021-2022.

Special choose MK Nagpal heard the case. Lawyers Dayan Krishnan, Mohit Mathur, and Siddharth Aggarwal argued for Manish Sisodia whereas advocate Zoheb Hossain appeared for the ED. Aam Aadmi Party chief Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation and was despatched to judicial custody within the Delhi liquor coverage case.

Advocate Zoheb Hossain argued, “We have put materials that we’ve gathered under different heads. First is on implementation of excise policy and the role of the accused. The policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business to certain private companies. There was a conspiracy to frame the policy in such a manner as to ensure illegal benefits to some persons. There was no suggestion from the public to fix 12% of the wholesale profit margin to private entities.”

Hossain: There was conspiracy to border the coverage in such a fashion in order to make sure unlawful advantages to some individuals. There was no suggestion from the general public to repair 12% of wholesale revenue margin to personal entities.#ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

Advocate Zoheb Hossain additional stated, “Conspiracy was coordinated by Vijay Nair and others along with South Group. The new policy was brought out for extraordinary profit margins for wholesalers. Members of the South group further got control of 9 zones, therefore, making a serious cartel in the excise business in Delhi. Vijay Nair was acting on behalf of the Chief Minister and Deputy CM of Delhi. The investigation revealed that Sisodia personally got the file of Indo spirits cleared by the excise department.”

Hossain: The investigation revealed that Sisodia personally obtained the file of indo spirits cleared by excise division. #ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

Advocate Zoheb Hossain added, “The arrestee used sim cards issued and phones purchased in the name of others. He himself used a phone purchased in some other person’s name. Purchased on Flipkart and the arrestee has not given payment. The proceeds of the crime were quantified for over Rs. 292 crores. Considering the magnitude of the matter, we need to identify the completed modus operandi. We need to confront other persons who we have summoned. Seven persons we have issued. We are seeking a remand of 10 days.”

Hossain: The proceeds of crime quantified for over Rs. 292 crores. Considering the magnitude of the matter, we have to establish accomplished modus operandi. We must confront different individuals who we’ve summoned. Seven individuals we’ve issued. We are in search of remand of 10 days.

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

Manish Sisodia’s counsel Dayan Krishnan argued that not a single penny was recovered from the previous deputy chief minister. He stated, “In money laundering, you’re (judge) expected to look at concealment, possession, and use. It has to be traced to the individual. Not a single penny has been traced to me. So they say Vinay Nair portrayed himself as the representative of Manish Sisodia. It is laughable, to say the least. We are talking about a premium investigating agency. Why have they not been able to trace a single penny to me?”

Krishnan: We are speaking a couple of premium investigating company. Why have they not been in a position to hint a single penny to me?#ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

He additional argued, “Under this draconian Act, the power to arrest is an extreme position. Where you’ve (judge) to decide that their subjective satisfaction would show that I’m likely to be guilty. Look at their document, everything is I heard I heard I heard.”

Krishnan: Burden is extraordinarily heavy not solely on the prosecution but additionally on the court docket.

Krishnan now refers back to the judgment in Madan Lal case. #ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

Advocate Dayan Krishnan additionally doubted the timing of Sisodia’s arrest within the cash laundering case. He stated, “I was never summoned by ED. Till one fine day, while remand applications were going on in the CBI case, my bail application was fixed. One day before the hearing of the bail application, I’m arrested. ECIR is of August 2020. This kind of conduct must concern the court. The process itself is illegal here. It can’t be that a person is kept in custody in a special Act (PMLA) just to ensure that he does not get bail.”

Krishnan: The course of itself is against the law right here.

It can’t be that an individual is saved in custody in a particular Act (PMLA) simply to make sure that he doesn’t get bail. #ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

Senior Advocates Siddharth Aggarwal and Mohit Mathur additionally argued for Manish Sisodia. Advocate Aggarwal stated, “Without any money trial and without any money coming to me, can we say that in their assessment that I am guilty of money laundering?”

Aggarwal: …..whithout any cash trial and with none cash coming to me, can we are saying that of their evaluation that i’m responsible of cash laundering?#ManishSisodia #LiquorPolicy #ED

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 10, 2023

The court docket deferred Sisodia’s bail software listening to till March 21 whereas making the choice about ED’s remand, citing a scarcity of time. Manish Sisodia is remanded to ED custody until seventeenth March 2023. Manish Sisodia was arrested by CBI on twenty sixth February 2023.