New Delhi: To ensure the safety of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Police will deploy over 1,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, outside the CBI headquarters on Sunday. Kejwriwal will appear before the central probe agency in connection with the alleged irregularities in the excise policy, which is now scrapped.
As per the officials, the security will also be tightened outside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office in Rouse Avenue tomorrow. The police will also place an adequate number of barricades on the street at CBI office as well as near the party office to ensure that the AAP workers and supporters do not create any trouble, a senior police official said.
Over 1,000 security personnel to be deployed
"We have set up an elaborate security arrangement and since he is a Chief Minister, definitely there will tight security for his safety. More than 1,000 security personnel including paramilitary forces would be deployed outside the CBI headquarters to ensure no untoward incident takes place," the official said.
CBI officials have said they asked Kejriwal to appear on a Sunday as the offices in the area remain closed. The agency adopted the same strategy when Sisodia was called at the agency headquarters, where he was grilled for eight hours before being taken into custody.
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CBI will question Kejriwal on crucial points on Sunday
The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned Kejriwal on April 16 at its office at 11 am to answer questions of the investigation team as a witness in the excise police case, according to a notice issued by the CBI.
The CBI will question Kejriwal on crucial points related to its probe in the excise policy scam. According to the officials, the agency may ask the chief minister about the policy formulation process especially of the "untraceable" file which was earlier slated to be put before the Council of Ministers, they said.
The file containing opinion of expert committee and public and legal opinions on it was not kept before the council and remains untraceable, they said. The agency may also quiz Kejriwal on the statements of other accused where they have indicated the manner in which policy was allegedly influenced to favour some liquor businessmen and the South liquor lobby, they said.
In addition, the agency may also seek his role in the formulation of the excise policy and his knowledge about alleged influence being cast by the traders and South lobby members, the officials said. Kejriwal may also be asked if he was involved in the formulation of the policy before it was given approval, they said. Agency sources said there may be other topics on which his replies could be sought.
Delhi Excise Policy scam
The central probe agency has already arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped. The allegations relate to Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22. The CBI is probing allegations of bribes paid by liquor traders to get licences.
“It was further alleged that irregularities were committed, including modifications in excise policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in license fee, the extension of L-1 licence without approval, etc,” said a CBI spokesperson after the FIR was filed on August 17, 2022.
The CBI filed its charge sheet against seven accused on November 25 last year. It alleged in the charge sheet that the excise policy was framed in a manner to promote cartelisation and monopoly at the wholesale level.
(With PTI inputs)
