The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday searched the bank lockers of Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, while moving ahead with its probe into the alleged corruption in Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) new excise policy case.
A four-member team of the CBI, including a woman officer, reached the Punjab National Bank in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh where Sisodia along with his wife also arrived. The bank lockers were opened in the presence of Sisodia and his wife.
The CBI officers looked at the materials available in the bank locker and made a record of it. After over one and a half hours, the CBI team left the bank. After the CBI searches, Sisodia slammed the BJP-led central government. He said, “Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) sent the CBI to my house, office and now they checked my lockers.”
The AAP leader, who is also the Excise Minister, claimed that the CBI “got nothing”. “Today, it has been proved that I and my family are clean and we have got a clean chit. I have full faith in the judiciary and I believe in God,” Sisodia said.
He also said that the CBI officers behaved very well with him. “The CBI officers behaved very well. They know that I have nothing and I did nothing wrong but they have directions from the central government. So, I will be arrested; I know it and am ready,” he added.
Trouble for Sisodia started after the CBI registered a case on August 17 and others on the basis of the complaint received from Lt Governor of Delhi VK Saxena, alleging irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD of Delhi for the year 2021-22.
Apart from Sisodia, the CBI has named Vijay Nair, former CEO of Mumbai-based entertainment and event management company Only Much Louder, besides 13 people across Lucknow, Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Karnataka, which includes liquor firm Brindco and Indospirit.
The CBI has also named three public servants, including Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Excise Commissioner and IAS officer, Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Excise Commissioner, Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise).
It has also named Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Indospirits, Manoj Rai, ex-employee of Lucknow-based Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, Director of Delhi-based Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd.; Amit Arora, Director of Buddy Retail Private Limited; Dinesh Arora, Delhi-based Mahadev Liquors; Sunny Marwah, authorised signatory of Mahadev Liquors; Arun Ramchandra Pillai of Karnataka’s Bangalore and Arjun Pandey of Gurgaon.
The CBI issued Look Out Circulars against eight accused in the case, excluding Sisodia and officials, who were later suspended by the government. After registering the case, the CBI carried out searches at 31 locations, including the premises of Sisodia in Delhi. The agency has also questioned several people in connection with the case at its headquarters.