CBI defers Manish Sisodia’s questioning in Delhi excise case

The AAP leader has not been named as an accused in the charge sheet as the investigation against him and other suspects is still going on

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also the Finance Minister of the Delhi Government, said he would be available for questioning after a week. Scene outside Mr. Sisodia’s residence on February 19, 2023.  | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

After Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on February 19 sought time to appear for questioning in the Delhi Excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials said he will not join the investigation on Sunday.

CBI will reissue a fresh date soon, officials were quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The CBI on Saturday summoned the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader for questioning on Sunday.

“I have written to the CBI and asked for time for February last week as I am finalising the budget of Delhi and it is a crucial time. I have told them that I will come after the last week of February,” he told reporters.

It’s my duty as Finance Minister to present the budget on time and I have been working 24 hours for it. I have requested the CBI to allow me to come after the last week of February and answer all their questions, he told reporters.

The development took a political turn, with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal stating that the case was only a political conspiracy, while the BJP is questioning why the policy was withdrawn if there was no scam.

“There was no liquor scam. It was the best policy in the country. The same policy was implemented in Punjab and the revenue increased by 48%. In Delhi, due to political vendetta, the case was made as a political conspiracy. Manish ji will go tomorrow and we will cooperate completely. In the end, truth will win,” Mr. Kejriwal said.

BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the contractors whose commission had increased from 2% to 12% under the policy have told the CBI that they were forced to give 6% commission back as donation to the AAP.

In August 2022, the CBI had registered a case against Mr. Sisodia and 14 others to probe the allegation of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the since scrapped excise policy. It later arrested some key accused and filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including two Excise Department officials, in November 2022.