The CBI on Sunday began its second round of questioning of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case and finally arrested him by late evening, after questioning for around eight hours.
He arrived at the heavily-barricaded CBI office after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, officials said.
Ahead of his questioning, he told reporters that he was not afraid of going to jail. “When I left my job as a journalist, my wife supported me and even today, my family is standing by my side. My workers will take care of my family if I get arrested,” Sisodia said.
The agency will question Sisodia on various aspects of the excise policy, his alleged links with liquor traders, and politicians and claims made by witnesses in their statements.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, accused number one in the CBI FIR, was earlier questioned on October 17, a month before the agency filed its charge sheet on November 25 last year. The CBI had not named Sisodia in the charge sheet as the central probe agency kept the probe open against him and other suspects and accused, they said.
The Deputy CM was issued a notice u/s 41A Cr.P.C for attending the investigation on February 19. However, he sought time of one week citing his preoccupation. Accepting his request, he was issued a notice u/s 41A Cr.P.C for attending the investigation on Sunday for answering various questions evaded by him during his examination on 17.10.2022 and further questions relating to his incriminating role based on evidence collected during the investigation of the case. However, he gave evasive replies and did not cooperate with the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary. Therefore, he has been arrested.
Sisodia will be produced before the Designated Court, Delhi.
What the allegations say
It is alleged that the Delhi government’s policy to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.
“It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the 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,” a CBI spokesperson had said.
Sisodia, who also holds the Finance portfolio in the Delhi Cabinet, was originally summoned last Sunday but he sought deferment of his questioning citing the ongoing Budget exercise, following which, the CBI had asked him to appear on February 26.