A Delhi court has extended the Enforcement Directorate’s custody of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, for a further five days in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 26 February, and the ED arrested him on 9 March in the same case. The ED informed the court that important details had come up during Sisodia’s custody, and he had to be confronted with other accused persons. The agency also stated that voluminous data from Sisodia’s email and mobile is being forensically analysed. Sisodia’s counsel opposed the central agency’s remand plea, stating that there was no justification in seeking an extension of custody and that Sisodia was confronted only with four people during his earlier custody of seven days. The court had deferred hearing in Sisodia’s bail application for 21 March in the same case being probed by the CBI.
