The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of torturing Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on 2 March in connection with a case of alleged corruption in the city’s healthcare scheme. AAP claims that Sisodia has been subjected to physical and mental torture during his remand in CBI custody.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that the CBI was acting on the orders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that the arrest was politically motivated. Singh said that the CBI had failed to produce any evidence against Sisodia and that the arrest was a ploy to deflect attention from the BJP’s failures in governing the country.

The CBI, on the other hand, has denied the allegations of torture and said that Sisodia was being treated in accordance with the law. The agency has claimed that it has sufficient evidence to prove Sisodia’s involvement in the corruption case and that he had been evading questioning for several months.

The case relates to allegations of irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment by the Delhi government. The CBI had earlier arrested two other senior officials of the Delhi government in connection with the case. The arrest of Sisodia has sparked off a political storm in the national capital with AAP and BJP trading charges against each other. With the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for next year, the case is likely to become a major issue in the run-up to the polls.