Called for CBI questioning on Sunday: Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Saturday that he had again been called by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday regarding the excise policy case and he would cooperate with the agency. Sisodia also alleged that the Centre wanted to stop him from doing good work in the education sector and had conducted searches but had found nothing against him.
"CBI has summoned me again tomorrow.The central government has used the full power of CBI and ED against me - raided my house, searched my bank locker -but found nothing against me. I have made arrangements for the good education of Delhi's children. They want to stop this. I have always cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so," he tweeted.

Supporting his deputy, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal reiterated that there was no 'liquor scam' in Delhi and asserted that the case against the policy was created due to "political vendetta and conspiracy".
Replying to a question during a press conference, Kejriwal said the same excise policy was implemented in Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party has its government, and has resulted in a 48% hike in revenue collection.

"First of all, there is no such thing as a liquor scam. We formulated the best and most transparent policy in the country. The same policy was implemented in Punjab and it led to a 48% rise in revenues," the CM said. "They have framed the case for political vendetta and conspiracy. Manish will go to CBI and we will fully cooperate in the investigation. The truth will prevail."
Probing the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of Delhi excise policy 2021-22, which came into force in November 2021, on the recommendation of LG VK Saxena, CBI registered an FIR against 16 people in July last year and made Sisodia the number one accused. Raids were conducted at his residence and office in August and later at his village while his bank locker was also searched.

Sisodia was also called to its office for questioning by the investigating agency last October. The deputy CM had alleged that the investigating officers had accepted that there was no corruption in the case and offered to drop all charges against him if he agreed to join BJP, a charge denied by CBI.
CBI submitted a chargesheet in the court in November 2022. It did not have Sisodia's name in it.
The Enforcement Department is also probing money laundering charges in the same excise policy case. The two agencies have together conducted more than 200 searches and arrested about 15 people so far.