NEW DELHI, Mar 3: A city court is likely to hear the bail application of Delhi’s former deputy chief minster Manish Sisodia, arrested in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, on Saturday when he is scheduled to be produced before the judge on expiry of his five-day CBI custody.
The application was filed before Special Judge M K Nagpal, who posted the matter for hearing on Saturday, his advocate Rishikesh said.
The CBI had on Sunday evening arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22 after nearly eight hours of questioning during which his answers were claimed to have been found unsatisfactory.
The court had on February 27 remanded Sisodia in CBI custody to allow the agency to get “genuine and legitimate” answers to questions being put to him for “a proper and fair investigation”.
The judge had said that though the accused had joined the investigation on two earlier occasions, it has been observed that he has failed to provide satisfactory answers to most of the questions put to him during his examination and interrogation.
He has failed to legitimately explain the incriminating evidence which has allegedly surfaced against him during the investigation conducted so far, the court had said.
It is true that he cannot be expected to make self-incriminating statements, but the interests of justice and of a fair investigation require him to come up with some legitimate answers to the questions which are being put to him by the investigating officer (IO), the judge had said.
“Some of his subordinates are found to have disclosed certain facts which can be taken as incriminating against him and some documentary evidence against him has also already surfaced…
“… A proper and fair investigation requires that some genuine and legitimate answers to the questions being put to him about the same are to be found and hence, in considered opinion of this court, this can only be done during custodial interrogation of the accused,” the judge said.
He added that as far as the apprehensions being expressed by senior counsel regarding the use of any force or third-degree methods for extracting information from the accused are concerned, “this court does not expect the same from the officers of CBI who have been given the task of interrogating the accused holding the high post of Dy. Chief Minister of the GNCTD and also some other important portfolios”.
In any case, such apprehensions can always be taken care of by imposing certain conditions, the judge said.
“Hence, it also being directed that the interrogation of accused during this period shall be conducted at some place having CCTV coverage in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and the said footage shall be preserved by the CBI. It is also subject to the condition that he shall be medically examined once in every 48 hours,” the judge said. (PTI)
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