Delhi Excise Policy Case: Deputy CM Manish Sisodia will not be appearing before the CBI for questioning in the Delhi excise policy case on Sunday.
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is not joining the investigation today at CBI Headquarters. CBI will reissue a fresh date soon, ANI quoted CBI officials as saying.
Sisodia earlier urged the agency to postpone his questioning scheduled on Sunday in the Delhi excise policy case. Sisodia said that he is also the Finance Minister of Delhi and is busy preparing the national capital’s budget, reported PTI.
According to a PTI report, Sisodia told reporters, “It’s my duty as finance minister to present the budget on time and I have been working 24 hours for it.”
He said that he will appear before the agency by the end of February, whenever CBI summons him. “I have requested the CBI to allow me to come after the last week of February and answer all their questions.”
According to ANI, CBI is investigating at the request of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Earlier on Saturday, Sisodia in a tweet said that he has been called for questioning yet again, and he would continue cooperating in the investigation. “CBI has called again tomorrow. They have used the full power of CBI, ED against me, raided my house, searched bank locker, but nothing was found against me,” he said. He added, “I have worked to provide good education of Delhi’s children and they want to stop it.” Sisodia added that nothing was found against him during searches.
सीबीआई ने कल फिर बुलाया है. मेरे ख़िलाफ़ इन्होंने CBI, ED की पूरी ताक़त लगा रखी है, घर पर रेड, बैंक लॉकर तलाशी, कहीं मेरे ख़िलाफ़ कुछ नहीं मिला
मैंने दिल्ली के बच्चों के लिए अच्छी शिक्षा का इंतज़ाम किया है। ये उसे रोकना चाहते हैं।
मैंने जाँच में हमेशा सहयोग किया है और करूँगा.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 18, 2023
Reacting to the development, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “No scam took place in the Delhi liquor policy case. This is a conspiracy against Manish Sisodia.”
The federal agency alleged that the now-scrapped Delhi government’s policy granted licences to liquor traders who favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI investigation into Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 in November last year.a
