Manish Sisodia Allowed To Use His MLA Funds For His Constituency; Kejriwal Reacts

Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia is currently in jail in connection with the excise policy case.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: Even while in jail, Manish Sisodia is concerned about the people of his constituency and sought the court's permission to use his MLA funds for its development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday. The court here on Tuesday allowed an application moved by Sisodia to release money from his MLA funds for development works in his Patparganj constituency. The application was not opposed by the CBI.

"We are proud of Manish Sisodia. He worries about the people of his constituency even while being in jail. Today, he sought the court's permission on whether he can sanction development works in his constituency through his MLA funds. The court gave him permission. Proud of u Manish," Kejriwal said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sisodia is currently in jail in connection with the excise policy case.

Meanwhile, the CBI on Tuesday told a Delhi court that it is in the process of filing a fresh supplementary charge sheet in a case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam against AAP leader Manish Sisodia and others. The central probe agency made the submission in response to a query by Special Judge M K Nagpal on whether the matter should be fixed for arguments on the framing of charges.

The CBI replied in the negative and said that the investigation was still ongoing. The agency said a report will be filed after the completion of the probe.

Advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai, who is a co-accused in the case, also submitted that the matter cannot be placed for arguments on charge since the verification of the documents supplied to the accused by the CBI is still not complete.

According to the CBI, Pillai was a close associate of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha. Kavita is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and was questioned by the probe agency in connection with the case.

The agency has alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021. But it was withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in July 2022 after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe was recommended by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor into "violation of norms and lapses" amid allegations of corruption.

Sisodia, who was the excise minister at that time, was arrested in February this year.