Manish Sisodia
Amidst the investigation of the Delhi excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) called Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today i.e. on Sunday at 1 PM, officials said.
The CBI is set to question the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in the connection with the Delhi excise policy case nearly three months after filing the charge sheet in the case.
According to the CBI officials, deputy CM Sisodia has not been named as accused in the charge sheet as the investigation against him and other suspects is still going on.
Earlier, on October 17 2022, the leader was questioned and his home and bank lockers were also searched in connection with the case.
Briefing the media, an official said, “The further investigation in the case regarding the money trail and the larger conspiracy in the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 is still in progress.”
In a tweet, Sisodia said nothing was found against him during searches, and he would continue cooperating in the investigation.
On Saturday, the deputy CM tweeted in Hindi, “CBI has called again tomorrow. They have used the full power of CBI, and ED against me, raided my house and searched my bank locker, but nothing was found against me.”
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Apparently referring to the centre, Sisodia said that the CBI has been made to go after him because “they” want to stop him from doing “good work” on the education of the children in Delhi.
“They want to stop me. I have always cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so,” Delhi deputy chief minister said.
The CBI is now focused on the alleged influence of a “South Lobby” of businessmen and politicians in formulating and implementing Delhi liquor policy to swing it in their favour using middlemen, liquor traders, and public servants, the CBI said.
Arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally were among the seven accused in the charge sheet filed on November 25 last year.
According to the reports, it is alleged that the Delhi government’s policy to grant licenses to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.
Moreover, the official said, “It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc.”
“It was also alleged that illegal gains on the count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts,” the offcial added.
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