Liquorgate: Tihar jail debunks AAP’s claims of Manish Sisodia being kept with criminals

After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday, March 8 claimed that Manish Sisodia has been kept in the company of the most dangerous criminals in Tihar Jail, the prison officials have responded stating that the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister has been assigned a segregated ward which has the minimum number of inmates who are not gangsters. The prison authorities further debunked the allegations of a conspiracy being hatched to kill Sisodia and stated that a separate cell has been assigned to him keeping his security in mind.  

Responding to the accusations made by the AAP leaders, including Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh, the prison officials said, “Manish Sisodia has been assigned a segregated ward keeping his security in mind. The ward of CJ-1, where he is lodged has the minimum number of inmates who are not gangsters and are maintaining good conduct inside the jail.” 

“A separate cell has been assigned to him in order to make it possible for him to meditate or do other activities without any disturbance. All arrangements, as per Jail Rules, are in place to ensure his safety and security. Any aspersions cast about his lodgings are unfounded,” the officials added. 

The Prison Department’s reply in view of the accusations made by AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj regarding the lodging of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in Tihar Jail in connection to the excise policy case. 

Conspiracy to kill Sisodia: AAP’s big claim

While the prison authorities are claiming that Manish Sisodia has been kept in a segregated ward, AAP leader Sanjay Singh while addressing a press conference on Wednesday claimed that Sisodia has been kept in the company of the most dangerous criminals. He further alleged that this is a conspiracy against the AAP leader to kill him inside the jail premises. 

"Despite the court's order to keep Sisodia in Vipassana cell, he is being kept in the company of dreaded criminals with an intention to kill him. The Centre should now pass a law to give permission to the investigation agencies to interrogate even the dead. If the dead do not answer, then Yamraj should be questioned,” Singh added. 

A similar claim was made by another AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj earlier in the morning when he asked the Centre to answer why Sisodia was kept with criminals in jail number 1 despite the court’s approval for Vipassana cell for him. “Today Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are not with us on Holi. Along with this, there is also a concern about whether the Central government will now get political murders done. We would like the Central government to answer this,” he said. 

The development came after Manish Sisodia was shifted to Tihar Jail on Monday, March 6, after the Rouse Avenue Court remanded him to judicial custody till March 20 in connection with the excise policy case. Notably, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged non-cooperation in the investigation in the Delhi liquor policy.