Sisodia’s lawyer slams ED, says agency considers arrest a right

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia’s lawyer has slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for considering arrest as a right without going through the due process of law, reports NDTV.

ED sought 10-day custody of Sisodia from a special court on Friday to question him over alleged money laundering while framing the now scrapped liquor policy for Delhi.

A day before CBI case hearing

ED arrested Sisodia on Thursday, a day before his bail request in his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was scheduled to be heard in the special court. The bail request in the CBI case will now be heard on March 21.

Also read: AAP says Sisodia kept with criminals; jail authorities deny charge

“It has become a fashion these days that the agencies take arrests as a right. It’s time for the courts to come down heavily on this sense of entitlement,” Sisodia’s lawyer Dayan Krishna said in the special court on Friday.

Questioning ED

“The CBI is investigating a predicate offence. What the ED stated today is in fact the CBI’s case…Without the proceeds of the alleged crime, the ED can’t start investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,” he said.

The AAP leader’s lawyer pointed out that the Delhi liquor policy file also went to the Lieutenant Governor, who, too, had cleared it. He hoped the ED would question the L-G too.

The ED, on its part, said that it wants to follow the money trail in the Delhi liquor policy, adding that the proceeds of the crime were worth at least Rs  292 crore.