Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by the CBI in connection to liquor policy case, on Monday will be produced before court.
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) in connection to liquor policy case, will be produced before court today. Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, was arrested on Sunday after hours of questioning. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on its part, protested that Manish Sisodia was arrested in a “false case”. “The world’s best education minister, Manish Sisodia, is arrested in a false case to tarnish AAP by the caged parrot CBI. Truth will prevail,” the AAP said in a statement.
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Why was Manish Sisodia arrested by CBI
The CBI, in its statement, said Manish Sisodia was grilled for hours in connection to the excise policy and his alleged links with Dinesh Arora and other accused mentioned in the FIR. The agency said it did not find Sisodia’s answers “satisfactory”.
The CBI said, “He (Manish Sisodia) gave evasive replies and did not cooperate the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary.”
“The instant case was registered against Deputy Chief Minister and In charge Excise Minister, GNCTD of Delhi and 14 others for investigation into the matter of alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of Excise Policy for the year 2021-22 and extending post tender benefits to private persons,” the CBI said.
Meanwhile, a source in the CBI told news agency IANS that the probe agency has retrieved some WhatsApp chats which indicate that the details related to the Delhi Excise Policy were shared with a few businessmen “in advance”, which was against the rules. The source claimed that besides the chats, a bureaucrat had also recorded his statement against Sisodia.
The CBI also alleged that Sisodia has destroyed evidence. “We asked about the chats and the statement of the bureaucrat… but Sisodia was evasive and did not answer any of the questions,” the source claimed.
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What’s next for Manish Sisodia and AAP?
Manish Sisodia will be produced in court on Monday as the Delhi deputy chief minister will defend allegations of corruption against him by the CBI. Sisodia may face jail time if the CBI proves the AAP leader’s involvement in the case.
“I might have to stay in jail for a few months, but I am not worried about it at all,” Manish Sisodia said hours ahead of his arrest. Sisodia said false allegations were levelled against him and he was confident that he will be cleared of all charges in court.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed “dirty politics” over Manish Sisodia’s arrest. “Manish is innocent. His arrest is dirty politics. His arrest has angered people quite a lot. People are watching everything. People now understand everything and will give reply to this. It will boost our spirit and our struggle will only get stronger,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Manish Sisodia is the second minister of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi to be arrested. Last year in June, Delhi health minister Satyendra Kumar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case. Both ministers – Sisodia and Jain – have led what the AAP describes as the successful transformation of Delhi’s education and health services, contributing to the party’s popularity and continued electoral success.
Sisodia’s arrest threaten to put a dent in AAP’s clean image. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP came to power in Delhi around 10 years ago after it’s campaign against corruption put veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit out of power. The AAP had then gained traction as the party with no corruption allegations. Since then, AAP had spread its roots in Punjab and other states.
