Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's office raided by CBI amid probe over excise policy scam

The repeated searches by CBI are taking place amid probe in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Sisodia.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 14 raided Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's office in Delhi Secretariat, the minister tweeted, saying "Nothing has been found against me". The raids, however, are still underway.

The repeated searches by CBI are taking place amid a probe in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Sisodia.

Taking to Twitter Sisodia said (roughly translated from Hindi), "Today again CBI has reached my office. They are welcome. They raided my house, raided my office, searched my locker... Nothing has been found against me and nothing will be found because I have not done anything wrong. Sincerely worked for the education of the children of Delhi."

आज फिर CBI मेरे दफ़्तर पहुँची है. उनका स्वागत है.
इन्होंने मेरे घर पर रेड कराई, दफ़्तर में छापा मारा, लॉकर तलशे, मेरे गाँव तक में छानबीन करा ली.मेरे ख़िलाफ़ न कुछ मिला हैं न मिलेगा क्योंकि मैंने कुछ ग़लत किया ही नहीं है. ईमानदारी से दिल्ली के बच्चों की शिक्षा के लिए काम किया है.

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) January 14, 2023

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped liquor policy of the Delhi government.

Recently, ED on January 6 filed a supplementary chargesheet against five individuals and seven companies in the case.

The ED, however, did not name Sisodia as an accused in the case and told the judge that further investigation is going on in the matter.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court granted interim bail to five accused of the alleged excise policy scam.  Those who were granted interim bail include two former excise department officials, Kuldeep Singh and Narender Singh, and businessman Sameer Mahendru.

Further, a Delhi court is scheduled to hear on January 19 the bail application of liquor giant Pernod Ricard's executive, Benoy Babu involved in the scam.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR. In regard to that, the CBI raided the premises of the deputy chief minister and some Delhi government bureaucrats after filing the case.

The excise scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The LG had also suspended 11 excise officials.

(With agency inputs)