INDIA NEWS
Manish Sisodia Arrested By CBI In Delhi Liquor Policy Case: 10 Points
Published
3 weeks agoon
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Mr Sisodia was being questioned by the Central agency since morning and the arrest came after over nine hours.
Mr Sisodia had earlier said he is ready for a seven to eight months in jail. “I don’t care if I have to stay in jail for a few months. I am a follower of Bhagat Singh who was hanged for the country,” he had tweeted.
The Delhi Police had made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order in case of an arrest, including the deployment of personnel outside Mr Sisodia’s house and the CBI office. In the morning, a protest by the Aam Aadmi Party was broken up and several leaders and workers detained.
Mr Sisodia’s party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had assured that they will look after his family. “When you go to jail for the country and society, it is not a curse, it is a glory. I pray to God that you return from jail soon. Children, parents and all of us in Delhi will be waiting for you,” he tweeted.
Mr Sisodia was asked to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation last Sunday for questioning, but he sought more time, citing the Delhi budget on which he is working. Mr Sisodia handles the finance portfolio in the Arvind Kejriwal government.
Mr Sisodia said the summons for questioning was the BJP’s way of getting even after it failed in its attempt to get nominated members to vote in Delhi’s civic body and thereby control the Mayor elections.
Mr Sisodia and others face corruption allegations in bringing a new liquor sale policy in the national capital. The CBI has named seven accused in the liquor policy case chargesheet, which has no mention of Mr Sisodia.
The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in framing of the 2021 liquor policy in exchange for kickbacks.The policy that was formed would have led to a 12 per cent profit for them, of which 6 per cent was routed to public servants through middlemen like Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Bonipally.
The Enforcement Directorate has also launched an investigation, alleging laundering of the kickbacks. It claimed a liquor lobby it dubbed the “South Group”, paid at least Rs 100 crore to AAP for its Goa election campaign.
The BJP said the Delhi government went back to the old liquor sale policy to cover up corruption in the excise department held by Mr Sisodia.