Manish Sisodia summoned by CBI on Monday in connection with Delhi Excise scam case

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been summoned by CBI on Monday (October 17, 2022) in connection with the Delhi Excise scam case. Taking to his official Twitter account, Sisodia informed that he has been summoned by the agency at 11 am on Monday.

"A CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said on Sunday.

मेरे घर पर 14 घंटे CBI रेड कराई, कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरा बैंक लॉकर तलाशा, उसमें कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरे गाँव में इन्हें कुछ नहीं मिला.

अब इन्होंने कल 11 बजे मुझे CBI मुख्यालय बुलाया है. मैं जाऊँगा और पूरा सहयोग करूँगा.

सत्यमेव जयते. — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) October 16, 2022

The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn in July by the Delhi government after a CBI probe was recommended by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena into alleged irregularities in its implementation. Subsequently, a CBI FIR had named Manish Sisodia as an accused among others in the policy.

The policy came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter.

Earlier this week, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also raided at least 25 locations in the national capital as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into the Delhi Excise policy. The premises covered under the search operation belong to private entities linked to liquor dealership and distributorship, officials said.

The federal agency has conducted multiple raids in this case till now and had also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, last month in the case.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Sisodia as an accused.

Delhi's new excise policy likely to be delayed as committee formed to frame its broad outlines seeks more time

The Delhi government's new excise policy (2022-23) is likely to be delayed as a high-level committee formed to frame its broad outlines has sought more time to submit its report, officials have said. The committee constituted in August includes principal secretary finance, principal secretary revenue, excise commissioner and an expert member.

Announcing the withdrawal of the Excise Policy 2021-22, Manish Sisodia had said a new policy will be framed within six months.

The committee formed to give recommendations for the excise policy 2022-23 was stipulated to submit its report within one month. However, it could not do so due to various reasons including the ongoing CBI probe into the excise policy 2021-22, the officials said earlier this week.

"The committee has asked the government for more time so that it could present its report based on objective and on-field studies of other policies being implemented by other states," a senior officer said.

Officials said one-month time was inadequate to come up with a "flawless" policy considering the existing situation and controversies related to the previous policy of 2021-22.

"It will take more than two months to come up with a comprehensive report as it was felt that visiting other states to learn about their excise policy will help come out with a new, robust excise policy for Delhi," another senior officer of the government said.

After revoking the excise policy 2021-22, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government had allowed its operation for one month transition period.

However, from September 1, the old excise regime that was operational before November 17, 2021, came into being under which four Delhi government undertakings have been running liquor vends in the city.

(With agency inputs)