Delhi excise policy case: Manish Sisodia summoned by CBI, AAP says he will be arrested tomorrow

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for questioning on Monday in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The central agency has asked Sisodia to appear before it at 11 am at its headquarters in the national capital.

Sisodia has reacted to the summon, saying: "CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation. Satyameva Jayate."

मेरे घर पर  घंटे CBI रेड कराई, कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरा बैंक लॉकर तलाशा, उसमें कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरे गाँव में इन्हें कुछ नहीं मिला.

अब इन्होंने कल  बजे मुझे CBI मुख्यालय बुलाया है. मैं जाऊँगा और पूरा सहयोग करूँगा.

सत्यमेव जयते.

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) October 16, 2022

Later, AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj held a press conference on Sunday and claimed Manish Sisodia 'will be arrested tomorrow'.

“We understand the fact that Manish Sisodia is being arrested tomorrow not because of liquor scam but because of the upcoming Gujarat elections. BJP is scared about the programs Manish Sisodia has over the next one month and hence is arresting him," Saurabh Bhardwaj said.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal also responded to the CBI summon and said, “Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s intentions. This is the second fight for freedom.

जेल की सलाख़ें और फाँसी का फंदा भगत सिंह के बुलंद इरादों को डिगा नहीं पाये

ये आज़ादी की दूसरी लड़ाई है।मनीष और सत्येंद्र आज के भगत सिंह है

75 साल बाद देश को एक शिक्षा मंत्री मिला जिसने ग़रीबों को अच्छी शिक्षा देकर सुनहरे भविष्य की उम्मीद दी

करोड़ों ग़रीबों की दुआएँ आपके साथ है https://t.co/slc3lb1Mqp

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 16, 2022

The CBI has questioned a number of people, including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, officials said.

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The agency has arrested Vijay Nair, an AAP worker and a former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company, and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, whose partner Arun Pillai has been named as an accused in the CBI FIR, they said.

The CBI had got an FIR registered in a special court here in August against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by the exercise of personal influence.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy, which was brought out in November last year, the officials said.

Following the registration of the FIR, the agency conducted searches at the premises of Sisodia and opened his locker at a bank in Ghaziabad.

(With inputs from PTI)