Look out circular issued against Manish Sisodia in Delhi excise policy case; barred from travelling abroad

The CBI on Saturday recorded the statements of three of the accused as it began the questioning in the alleged corruption case related to the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.

New Delhi: A look out circular has been issued against 14 people including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy case, media reports claimed on Sunday (August 21, 2022). The look out notice issued by the CBI bars Sisodia and 12 others from traveling abroad. 

The CBI on Friday raided the home of Manish Sisodia and 30 other locations in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.

The 15-hour-long searches at the AAP leader's home, the residence of IAS officer and former excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and 29 other places took place after the CBI registered an FIR for alleged corruption and bribery formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought out last November.

What are alleged corruption in implementation of Delhi Excise Policy?

Under the CBI probe are at least two payments in crores allegedly made to "close associates" of Manish Sisodia by Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indospirits, who was one of the liquor traders actively involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.

The FIR alleged Sisodia's "close associates" Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Pvt. Limited in Gurugram, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey were "actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees" for the accused public servants.

It said Radha Industries managed by Dinesh Arora allegedly received Rs 1 crore from Mahendru. Pandey, also an associate of Sisodia, had once collected cash of about Rs 2-4 crore from Mahendru on behalf of Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company, the FIR has alleged.

The CBI has invoked IPC section related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in its FIR filed against 15 persons including four public servants Sisodia, Krishna, former Deputy Excise Commissioner Anand Tiwari, and assistant excise commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar, nine businessmen and two companies.

It's Arvind Kejriwal vs Modi in 2024: Manish Sisodia

As the CBI began questioning the accused in the Delhi excise policy "corruption" case in which he has been named, Manish Sisodia on Saturday claimed it was a ploy by the BJP which "fears" Arvind Kejriwal and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be a battle between the AAP chief and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He stated that the BJP was not concerned about corruption but was targeting Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, whose work on education and health was being talked about in the world, and that is why Satyendar Jain was arrested by the ED in May.

Sisodia, at a press conference, also expressed apprehension that the agency or the ED may arrest him in the next 3-4 days and alleged that it was part of the "script to stop Kejriwal who has emerged as a national alternative".

BJP hits back, calls Arvind Kejriwal govt a 'bevdi' govt

The BJP hit back, alleging that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the "kingpin" in the "liquor scam" and that the Aam Aadmi Party was trying to divert attention from its corruption by linking the CBI action to politics.

Dismissing the charge, Union Minister Anurag Thakur claimed the AAP's "real face has been unmasked" and referred to the deputy chief minister as "Money Shh", alleging that he "makes money and maintains silence".

"Sisodia is the accused number one in the case but Kejriwal is the kingpin behind the scam," he said.

"It is a government of revdi (freebies) and it is also a bevdi (drunkards) government," he alleged and asked why it returned over Rs 144 crore to liquor companies without the Cabinet approval.

(With agency inputs)