Manish Sisodia will not appear before CBI today, says 'I'm busy with budget preparation'
Delhi liquor case: The development is set to scale up AAP's attacks against Delhi L-G and Bharatiya Janta Party as Kejriwal's party alleged that the Centre wants to halt the good works being done by the state government.
Delhi liquor case: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was scheduled to appear before CBI as the Central investigation agency summoned him on Sunday for questioning in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case, said he would not visit the central investigation office as he was busy with budget preparation for the state.
"I will visit the CBI office by the end of February, whenever they (CBI) will call me. Being the Finance Minister of Delhi, preparing the budget is very important, so I have requested to shift the date. I have always cooperated with these agencies," said Sisodia.
The CBI summoned was issued nearly three months after filing the charge sheet in the case. The development comes amid an intense power battle between Delhi L-G VK Saxena and AAP government over the mayor election and other issues.
Sisodia slams BJP
Responding to the CBI's summon, Sisodia, in a tweet said nothing was found against him during searches, and he would continue cooperating in the investigation.
"CBI has called again tomorrow. They have used full power of CBI and ED against me. My house was raided, bank locker was searched, but nothing was found against me. I have made arrangements for good education for the children of Delhi. They want to stop me. I have always cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so," he said.
Sisodia has not been named as accused in the charge sheet as the investigation against him and other suspects is still going on, they said.
The Deputy Chief Minister in the Aam Aadmi Party government, who also held the charge of the Excise department, was earlier questioned on October 17 last year and his home and bank lockers were also searched in connection with the case.
What is Delhi liquor case?
"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," an official said.
The CBI is now focussed 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, CBI said.
Arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally were among the seven accused in the charge sheet filed on November 25 last year.
It is alleged 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, 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.
Telangana CM's daughter under CBI lens K Kavitha
Recently, the CBI arrested Butchibabu Gorantla, a former Chartered Accountant of K Kavitha, a BRS MLC in Telangana and a daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
It is alleged that Babu had met several accused named in the FIR in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai and was one of the prime negotiators from the South Lobby, which wanted to swing the now scrapped excise policy for 2021-22 in its favour.
The CBI had also questioned Kavitha in connection with the case in December last year.
During its probe, the CBI had found evidence that Babu acted on behalf of the South Lobby comprising the Telangana MLC, YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma's P Sarat Chandra Reddy.
(With PTI input)