INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Former deputy chief minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, on Friday told a special court in Delhi that the CBI was causing him
mental harassment by asking the same questions over and over again."They are not using third degree, but sitting for 8-9 hours and answering
the same questions again and again too is mental harassment," Sisodia submitted before the court
It will hear his bail application on March 10
then secretary and the then excise commissioner of GNCTD on some vital aspects of the prosecution story, his confrontation with two other
material witnesses is yet to be done and it is stated that their names have intentionally not been disclosed in the application so that the
important file pertaining to a cabinet note prepared on the excise policy was yet to be traced and for which some further custodial
interrogation of the accused may be necessary.The court then told the CBI officers not to ask Sisodia repetitive questions and to conduct
his medical examination regularly
"Please don't ask the same questions again and again
If you have something new, ask him," the court remarked orally after Sisodia's submissions
interrogation of the accused for the above said purposes," it added.The court asserted that its directions in an order dated February 27,
2023 regarding his medical examination within a given time, his examination and interrogation at a place having CCTV coverage, meetings with
his counsel and family members and providing of prescribed medicines to him shall continue with the same terms and conditions.Special public
prosecutor Pankaj Gupta, appearing for the CBI, had earlier told the court that Sisodia was still to be confronted with some material
witnesses, which could not take place during the five days due to lack of time
file of a cabinet note prepared in respect to formulation of the excise policy of GNCTD"
The SPP told the court that one day of the five days of custody granted on February 27 was consumed in the Supreme Court and a "substantive
time" was also consumed in getting the AAP leader medically examined every 48 hours
They argued that five days were "more than enough for the purposes of extensive examination and interrogation" of the accused, including
confronting him with all the oral and documentary evidence collected so far by the investigating officer, and there was no ground or reason
made out for remanding the accused to CBI custody for any further period of time
They said that even the facts and submissions in the application moved by the CBI "do not make out any case for grant or extension of CBI
custody of the accused for any further period of time"
They argued that the investigating agency was not only under an obligation to justify the utilisation of previous police/CBI custody period
of the accused, but it has to also come up with some fresh and legitimate grounds to seek his fresh police/CBI custody or extension, adding
that "mere non-cooperation of accused or giving of evasive replies etc
Arguing that remanding of an accused to police custody is an exception and even remanding of an accused to judicial custody has to be
substantiated and supported by some valid and legitimate reasons and grounds, the counsels for Sisodia told the court that he cannot be
expected to make self-incriminating statements in view of the right against self-incrimination conferred upon him by virtue of Article 20(3)
When the court had earlier in the day asked the CBI why it needed three more days of custody, the SPP had replied that Sisodia was "still
non-cooperative".Meanwhile, AAP workers gathered outside the Rouse Avenue court and raised slogans in favour of their jailed leader and
against the Centre and BJP.WatchDelhi Excise Policy: Manish Sisodia leaves Rouse Avenue Court, CBI remand extends till March 6
