Delhi excise scam: Over 100 AAP leaders held from CBI HQ

New Delhi, Oct 17: Delhi police on Monday arrested several AAP leaders, including MP Sanjay Singh after they held a huge protest against the questioning of Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi excise policy. All the detained leaders were sent to Fatehpur Beri.

Around 100 leaders including Sanjay Singh has been detained along with other protesters for unlawfully protesting at the CGO complex, where CrPC section 144 is in effect. Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure prohibits the assembly of four or more people. They will be released soon, a Delhi Police official told PTI.

Sisodia claimed his arrest as part of a BJP "plan" to stop him from campaigning for the upcoming Gujarat election.

"A completely false case has been made against me. They raided my house, found nothing, looked at all my bank lockers, found nothing, went to my village and checked everything, found nothing. This case is completely fake," tweeted Sisodia ahead of the questioning.

"They are preparing to arrest me by making a completely fake case against me. I was to go to Gujarat for election campaign in the coming days. These people are losing Gujarat badly. Their purpose is to stop me from going to Gujarat election campaign," he said.

"But even if I am sent to jail, the Gujarat election campaign will not stop. Today every Gujarati has stood up. The people of Gujarat are now campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs, electricity. The coming elections in Gujarat will be a movement," Sisodia added.

Reacting to the summons, the AAP has claimed that Sisodia would be arrested as the BJP fears defeat in Gujarat polls.

Several people including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, have been quizzed by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise scam. At least two people have been arrested in the case so far.Vijay Nair, aide of Sisodia, an AAP worker and the former CEO of Only Much Louder, and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally.

Sisodia and 14 others were booked 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, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by the exercise of personal influence.

The alleged scam came to light after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy, which was brought out in November last year.