New Delhi: “Truth has won,” Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Tuesday after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completed searches in his bank locker in connection with a probe into the state’s excise policy.
Sisodia, who also handles the state’s excise portfolio, has been in the crosshairs of the central probe agency for allegedly favouring liquor vendors.
After officers searched his locker in the Punjab National Bank’s Ghaziabad branch, Sisodia said: “Nothing was found in my bank locker just like nothing was found in my home during the CBI raid. I am happy that I have got a clean chit. The CBI officials treated us well, and we also cooperated with them. Truth has won.”
Sisodia was present with his wife at the bank when the searches were made.
On 22 July, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s Excise Policy 2021-22, alleging “deliberate and gross procedural lapses”, according to an assessment report prepared by the chief secretary.
“It is suspected that undue financial favours were granted to the vendors taking liquor licenses by waiving the license fee, using the excuse of the business being hit by the pandemic. This caused losses of over Rs 140 crore to the state. It is also alleged that kickbacks were received in exchange of favours and the money was then used in the Punjab elections. All the allegations are being probed,” CBI sources told ThePrint.
The CBI has so far conducted 21 raids in the national capital region, including in the home of Manish Sisodia – on 19 August – and four other public servants. Raids in the ongoing excise probe have also taken place in seven states.
Meanwhile, The AAP has accused the BJP of trying to topple its government in Delhi.
On Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended the one-day special session of the Assembly to face a voluntary trust motion, after several of his MLAs – including Manish Sisodia – said the BJP was trying to break the party. They had been offered Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore each to leave AAP and bring more members to the BJP’s table, the MLAs said.
Calling the BJP a “serial killer (of governments)”, Kejriwal estimated the party “had bought 277 MLAs” on its way to “trampling elected governments” in the country, including those in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, MP, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya.
Kejriwal also said the BJP would “fabricate false cases against us till the Gujarat polls”.
Incidentally, the AAP is making a vigorous pitch in Gujarat for the coming Assembly elections, after winning Punjab earlier this year.
Also read: ‘Favours to liquor vendors’, ‘kickbacks’ — CBI raids Delhi Deputy CM’s home in excise policy probe