Manish Sisodia requests CBI to defer questioning in Delhi liquor scam

Delhi liquor case is a corruption case in which the Delhi government's excise department was allegedly involved in a scam worth crores of rupees.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has requested the Central Bureau of Investigation for a week's time to appear for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of Delhi excise policy.

"I will visit the CBI office by the end of February, whenever they (CBI) will call me. Being the Finance Minister of Delhi, preparing the budget is very important, so I have requested to shift the date. I have always cooperated with these agencies," said Sisodia.

Sisodia was supposed to appear before the probe agency at 11 am, nearly three months after filing a chargesheet by the central agency.

"CBI has called me again. They have used the full power of ED and CBI against me. The officials had raided my house, searched my bank locker but nothing was found against me. I have made arrangements for good education for the children of Delhi. They want to stop me. I have always cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so," Sisodia had tweeted.

Defending Sisodia, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that that there was no "liquor scam" in Delhi and that the case over his government's excise policy was created as a result of "political vendetta and conspiracy".

"No scam took place in the Delhi liquor policy case. This is a conspiracy against Manish Sisodia. Same policy was applied in Punjab and we have ensured profits in that state, Manish will go and cooperate," he said at a press conference on Saturday.

What is Delhi liquor scam

Delhi liquor case is a corruption case in which the Delhi government's excise department was allegedly involved in a scam worth crores of rupees.

The Kejriwal government withdrew Excise Policy 2021-22 last year after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe was recommended by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena into "violation of norms and lapses".

The CBI had registered an FIR in a special court in August last year against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

It is alleged 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.