Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that the Central Bureau of Investigation had no evidence against him and that he was being singled out, Bar and Bench reported.

The former Delhi deputy chief minister was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on February 26 and is in judicial custody.

The case against him pertains to alleged irregularities in the national capital’s now-scrapped liquor policy. The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate have alleged that the policy was modified to ensure a 12% profit margin for wholesalers and almost 185% profit margin for retailers.

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.

A Delhi court rejected Sisodia’s bail application on March 31, after which he approached the High Court.

Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the Aam Aadmi Party leader, on Thursday told the court that all the accused persons except him have got bail in the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation, The Indian Express reported.

“They say that I [Sisodia] do not cooperate,” Krishnan said. “This can never be the ground to deny me the bail. I am not required to cooperate, confess, or answer questions in the way they want. I am required to answer in the way I want, that is the constitutional guarantee.”

Krishnan also told the court that the Delhi government had sent the policy to the lieutenant governor even though it did not need his approval.

“LG made changes and sent it back to me,” he added. “Therefore, a policy which is vetted by the finance secretary, the law secretary, cleared by the cabinet sent to LG is a subject matter of the case. Why should I be in custody for this?”

Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, also appearing for Sisodia, claimed that figures cited by the Central Bureau of Investigation were merely on paper and that there was no money trail.

But the Central Bureau of Investigation in a written reply to the bail petition stated that Sisodia was the “kingpin and architect of the conspiracy”, according to PTI. It alleged that he was involved in the commission of grave economic offences and was key to understanding the modus operandi of the case.

The agency also argued that on account of the clout that Sisodia wields, he cannot be treated at par with other accused persons.

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