Manish Sisodia Appears Before CBI For Questioning In Delhi Excise Policy Scam

The CBI on Sunday began its second round of questioning of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.

Sisodia arrived at the heavily-barricaded CBI office after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, officials said. 

Sisodia, accused number one in the CBI FIR, was earlier questioned on October 17, a month before the agency filed its charge sheet on November 25 last year.

The CBI had not named Sisodia in charge sheet as the central probe agency kept the probe open against him and other suspects and accused, they said. 

The CBI will question Sisodia on various aspects of the excise policy, his alleged links with liquor traders, and politicians and claims made by witnesses in their statements.

Armed with confessional statements of Sisodia's "close associate" Dinesh Arora, and information gleaned from questioning of alleged members of 'South Lobby', a coterie of politicians and liquor businessmen who allegedly swung the policy in their favour, the CBI has prepared an elaborate questionnaire for him, the officials said.  

It is alleged that 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.

Going To Jail For Country Matter Of Pride: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said going to jail for the country and the society is not a curse but a matter of pride, amid apprehensions of his deputy Manish Sisodia's arrest by the CBI in the alleged excise policy scam.

Sisodia will be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later in the day in connection with the federal agency's probe into the alleged scam.

"God is with you Manish. The blessings of lakhs of children and their parents are with you. When you go to jail for the country and the society, it is not a curse but a matter of pride. I pray to god that you return from jail soon. Delhi's children, their parents and all of us will wait for you," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

Will Fully Cooperate With CBI, Don't Care About "False Allegations": Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said he will fully cooperate with the CBI that has summoned him for questioning in the excise policy case, and asserted that he does not care if he has to go to jail over "false allegations".

Ahead of his questioning, Sisodia visited Raj Ghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.

Sisodia, who also holds the Finance portfolio in the Delhi Cabinet, was originally summoned last Sunday but he sought deferment of his questioning citing the ongoing Budget exercise, following which, the CBI had asked him to appear on February 26.  

In a tweet in Hindi, Sisodia said he will fully cooperate with the probe.

"Today, I am going to the CBI. Will fully cooperate in the probe. I have the love of lakhs of children and crores of countrymen with me. Even if I have to go to jail for a few months, I do not care. We are followers of Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh died for the country. If I have to go to jail over such false allegations, it is a small thing," he said.

Several AAP leaders, meanwhile, claimed that some of their councillors have been put under house arrest to prevent them from visiting Raj Ghat.

“We have come to know that many of our leaders have been put in a kind of house arrest. Police is at their houses and not allowing them to step out. Even for visiting memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, we are being asked to take permission from the Centre,” AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed. 

AAP leader Adil Ahmad alleged their councillors have been put under house arrest as the BJP is “scared of their party”.

“Many of our councillors are under house arrest. This is a black day for democracy. BJP is scared of us that's why they are attempting to stop our leaders,” he alleged. 

Describing Sisodia as the future national education minister, Bharadwaj said,

"Arvind Kejriwal is the new challenge for the BJP and the PM. The danger is not from Rahul Gandhi but from Arvind Kejriwal that's why they are after our party. They raided his house, office bank locker and even his village but nothing was found". 

"He is the future national education minister and that's why they are scared of him but if he goes to jail today his route to national politics will open and the nation will see him as the future education minister at national level," he said.

He asserted that they were ready for all kinds of arrests and alleged atrocities inflicted by the Centre.