Sisodia kept in segregated ward: Jail authorities rebuff AAP's allegations
The authorities of Tihar Jail clarified that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been lodged in a segregated ward of Central Jail-1 keeping his security in mind. The officials said that the ward has the least number of gangsters and the inmates maintain good conduct. "Any aspersions cast about his lodgings is unfounded," the officials added.
Why does this story matter?
The statement by jail authorities came after AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh alleged that Sisodia was kept with other inmates under strict CCTV surveillance. They expressed apprehensions regarding his safety, claiming that he was lodged in jail number 1 with dreaded criminals. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Sisodia last week in the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam case.
Meditation, similar activities possible in separate cell: Officials
Rebuffing claims that Sisodia was denied a "vipassana" cell despite it being granted by the court, officials said that a separate cell made it possible for Sisodia to meditate and do other such activities without disturbance. All the arrangements are in place for Sisodia as per the jail rules to ensure his safety and security, they said.
Court asked officials to consider Sisodia's application for 'vipassana' cell
During the hearing regarding the extension of Sisodia's judicial custody earlier this week, the court granted his request for Bhagvat Gita, spectacles, a diary, and a pen. It also asked the jail authorities to consider his plea for a "vipassana" (a form of meditation in Theravada Buddhism) cell. Sending him to five-day custody last week, the court extended his remand to March 20.
What is the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam
The CBI alleges that Sisodia was instrumental in formulating and enforcing the now-scrapped Delhi Liquor Policy 2021-22, under which the AAP government bent rules to extend undue benefits to liquor traders. According to the agency, the license fee was waived for a purported "southern liquor cartel" in lieu of Rs. 100 crore in kickbacks, which the AAP used in Goa and Punjab poll campaigns.
