NewDelhi: A day after Manish Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (February 27, 2023) claimed that most CBI officers were “against” his deputy’s arrest. Taking to his official Twitter account, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo said that all the CBI officers have “huge respect” for Sisodia and reiterated that there is no evidence against him. He also linked Sisodia’s arrest to the “high political pressure”.
“I am told that most CBI officers were against Manish’s arrest. All of them have huge respect for him and there is no evidence against him. But the political pressure to arrest him was so high that they had to obey their political masters,” he said in a tweet.
The central probe agency on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy relating to the sale of alcohol.
Sisodia was arrested after nearly eight hours of questioning on various aspects of the excise policy for 2021-22, which the probe agency says suffered from irregularities both in its formulation and implementation, allegedly intended to benefit people with links to the AAP.
BJP’s Manoj Tiwari hits back at Arvind Kejriwal
Hitting back at Arvind Kejriwal, Bharatiya Janata Party (MP) Manoj Tiwari said that the Delhi CM had “spread such fake news” about Intelligence Bureau (IB) during the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections as well.
“Now everyone knows that whatever you write and say is fabricated,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
“Let the law work,” he added.
Manish Sisodia gave ‘evasive replies’, did not cooperate in investigation: CBI
A CBI official said that they were not satisfied with Manish Sisodia’s answers and that he was not cooperating in the investigation and avoided clarifications sought on crucial points.
“He gave evasive replies and did not cooperate in the investigation despite being confronted with evidence to the contrary. Therefore, he has been arrested,” the CBI said in a statement.
The CBI said the Delhi Deputy CM was issued a notice under CrPC section 41A to attend the investigation on February 19.
“However, he sought time of one week citing his preoccupation. Accepting his request, he was issued a notice for attending the investigation on February 26 for answering various questions evaded by him during his examination on October 17, 2022, and further questions relating to his incriminating role based on evidence collected during the investigation of the case,” the agency added.
Sisodia’s arrest, one of the highest-profile actions against an opposition leader, comes after that of Satyendar Jain, Delhi’s then health minister, in June last year.
Both ministers have led what the AAP describes as the successful transformation of Delhi’s education and health services, contributing to the party’s popularity and continued electoral success.
Bureau Report
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