Court takes cognisance of CBI's supplementary charge sheet against Sisodia, others in excise case

New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) A Delhi court on Saturday took cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) supplementary charge sheet against former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and three others 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, Arjun Pandey, Butchi Babu and Amandeep Dhal for June 2.

On May 12, Sisodia's judicial custody was extended till June 2, in CBI case.

The court had, on May 19, also reserved an order on the cognisance of 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 got certain emails fabricated through Zakir Khan, Chairperson of Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC), to manipulate the process of seeking comments/suggestions in connection with the liquor policy.

It alleged that Sisodia formulated and implemented the Excise policy in a way to facilitate monopolisation and cartelization of the liquor trade in Delhi.

The probe agency has claimed that Sisodia was not happy with the recommendations of the expert committee report submitted on October 13, 2020, by former Excise Commissioner Ravi Dhawan and directed Rahul Singh, the new Excise Commissioner, to put the report on Excise Department's portal to get comments from the public and stakeholders.

The CBI has alleged that Sisodia "destroyed" a draft Cabinet note which was prepared by the Excise Department and put up before the Council of Ministers at the meeting held on January 28, 2021.

In the draft Cabinet note, the legal opinions of Ranjan Gogoi and K.G. Balakrishnan, both former Chief Justice of India (CJI), Mukul Rohtagi, senior advocate and former Attorney General of India, and others were obtained.

The same court had on Tuesday extended Sisodia's judicial custody till June 1 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case being investigated by the ED.

The jail authorities were directed to consider his request to provide him chair and table for study purposes.

The ED had arrested Sisodia 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 that he had deliberately leaked the policy to the co-accused to generate financial kickbacks.

Last month, judge Nagpal had denied bail to Sisodia holding that that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in commission of the offence.