Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia speaks to the media on being summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi Excise Police case, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Senior AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on February 20 said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sent him a notice to appear before the agency on February 26 concerning the Delhi excise policy case.
Mr. Sisodia, who was earlier summoned by the CBI for questioning on February 19, had sought time from the agency as he was busy with the preparation of the Delhi Budget, scheduled to be tabled next month.
Before the Delhi excise policy kicked in on November 17, 2021, both private and government liquor vends were selling alcohol in the city. However, under the new policy, the government completely pulled out of the business of selling liquor and it was left to private entities.
In August 2022, the CBI had registered a case against Mr. Sisodia and 14 others to probe the allegation of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the since scrapped excise policy. It later arrested some key accused and filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including two Excise Department officials, in November 2022.
Mr. Sisodia and his senior party colleagues have denied the charges in the past even as the BJP tried to paint the AAP as corrupt.
Based on the CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a money laundering probe and has so far arrested nine accused persons. It recently filed a second chargesheet against 17 accused.