The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, used 43 SIM cards in 14 different mobile phones in connection to the Excise Police scam. They also alleged that he destroyed the phones to hinder the investigation and erase evidence. Out of the 43 SIM cards, only five were issued in his name. Sisodia claimed that the phone used prior to the one seized by the CBI was broken and he no longer has it.
The ED collected information regarding the real owners of the 14 mobile phones allegedly destroyed by Sisodia. It was discovered that these phones were bought and owned by four individuals and a company named Romado Clothes. Interestingly, Romado Clothes cheated the seller by bouncing their cheque and now faces legal action.
Devender alias Rinku, a close aide of Sisodia, was using the phone of Javed Khan on behalf of the AAP leader. Devender borrowed the phone from Khan for some OTP work for Sisodia in September 2022. However, the phone was formatted in October 2022, and the ED could not retrieve the OTP related SMS. Two phones were submitted by Sisodia. The forensic report of the phones established that Sisodia reinstalled Signal and Whatsapp on July 23, 2022, shortly after media reports surfaced about the L-G order for a CBI Inquiry into the scam.
The ED sources said that Sisodia had been using an iPhone 13 Max Pro for 11 months but destroyed it soon after the L-G’s order. The AAP leader told investigators that he had no idea where the damaged phone was. The ED has claimed that by destroying the phones, Sisodia created a legal facade.
The ED’s case is based on an FIR of the CBI. The ED has filed four charge sheets as of now and they are further investigating the matter.
