New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir on Monday slammed former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia after he was denied interim bail in a money laundering case and said that he 'deserves every bit of it'. He also alleged that Sisodia has only 'extorted money' through the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
"I have always been saying that it's an open and shut case because of what they have done in the (Delhi) excise policy. They have only exhorted money out of that excise policy during Covid-19," Gautam Gambhir told the news agency PTI.
If you have done corruption, the only place you deserve is where you are at the moment, the BJP leader said.
"I think what's happening with Manish Sisodia, he deserves every bit of it," he added.
Earlier on Monday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant Sisodia interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, observing that he is facing 'extremely serious' allegations and there is a possibility of 'influencing the witnesses'. Sisodia had sought bail to attend to his ailing wife.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, however, allowed the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to meet his wife for one day at their residence or hospital at her convenience between 10 am and 5 pm but under certain conditions including that he will not interact with media.
"The court finds it very difficult to persuade itself to release the petitioner on interim bail for 6 weeks," the judge said noting that the case concerns 'extremely serious allegations' and there is a possibility of tampering if Sisodia, who held several positions in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, is released.
"However, at the same time, this court feels that the petitioner should get an opportunity to see and meet his wife. Therefore, for one day, as per the convenience of Mrs Seema Sisodia, the petitioner be taken to his residence/hospital (if she is admitted to the hospital) from 10 am to 5 pm in custody," the court said.
Sisodia was arrested in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case on February 26 in connection with its probe into the excise policy after which he resigned as deputy chief minister of Delhi. He was subsequently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 and is currently in judicial custody.
The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
