AAP accuses CBI of mentally torturing Sisodia in its custody

New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi on Sunday accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of mentally torturing former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and forcing him to sign a false confession paper in custody.

The former deputy of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on February 26 in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Speaking at a press conference here, Atishi questioned the CBI's actions while highlighting "the agency's failure to prove any corruption charges against Sisodia".

The AAP legislator from Kalkaji constituency asserted that despite thousands of hours of investigation, the full-time involvement of over 500 officers, thousands of pages of chargesheets, and over 50 hours of raids, "the investigation agencies have not been able to prove the corruption of even one rupee against Sisodia".

She said that stories of torture in police custody, putting pressure, and forcing people to sign false confessions are often heard.

"If this could happen to Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister, it is a matter of great concern for the entire country, and there is a possibility that it could happen to anyone in the future," she said.

Atishi further said that Sisodia was neither named in the CBI's first chargesheet, nor was his name mentioned in the probe agency's supplementary chargesheet.

"Then it was predicted that his name might appear on the ED's chargesheet. However, Manish Sisodia was not even named in the chargesheet submitted by the ED," she said, adding his name did not appear on any of these chargesheets, as neither the CBI nor the ED has any evidence against him.

The AAP legislator also accused the CBI of arresting Sisodia without any evidence "to please its political masters".

"He was arrested on the basis of a false charge of non-cooperation and that his arrest was not made on the basis of any evidence or documentary proof," she said.