New Delhi: High drama unfolded outside the CBI office in New Delhi as Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is being interrogated in relation to the alleged irregularities in the now withdrawn Delhi excise policy being investigated by the Central agency. Large number of AAP workers gathered at the spot raising slogans against the CBI's actions. Several AAP leaders and workers have been detained.
Earlier in the day CBI started the interrogation of Sisodia. He arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11.15 am and was taken straight to the first floor of the Anti Corruption Branch. APP supremo Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Sisodia will be kept behind bars till December 8 so that he can't campaign for the Gujarat Assembly election. "Gujarat results will be out on December 8. These people will keep Manish in jail till then. So that Manish does not go for campaigning in Gujarat elections," tweeted Kejriwal.
According to sources CBI has prepared a list of as many as 50 questions that will be asked to Sisodia in connection with the excise policy scam case. The questions include:
1. Why was there a need to introduce a new excise policy and scrapping the old one? Whose decision was it?
2. Who was present in the first meeting where this decision was taken?3. Minutes of the meeting were prepared or not, submit it.
4. How the new excise policy would benefit the Delhi Government?5. Who took the last decision of issuing tender notice under the new Excise Policy?
6. Who finalized the term and conditions of the tender form?
7. How many firms filled the tenders, and out of which who were not given the tenders, what were the issues for not issuing the tenders?
8. What were the reasons to increase the commission of liquor businessmen?
9. Were there any officials who opposed the new policy?
10. Did the then Excise Commissioner R. Gopi Krishan play any role, or did he oppose the new policy?
11. What was the role of accused Vijay Nair in forming the policy?
12. Why was Vijay Nair in touch, directly or indirectly, with all the firms who got the license?
13. Did Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar raise any questions against the new policy?
14. Did You know that Arjun Pandey, Vijay Nair, Dinesh Arora were in touch with license holders? Why were private businessmen interested in forming policy?
15. (a) Was any meeting held with the license holders with Nair, Arora and Pandey? (b) If yes, who gave them permission to convene the meeting? (c) Who were others who wanted to join the meetings? (d) If yes, what would be the reasons to allow them in the meeting?
16. Why do license holders submit cash in the bank accounts of your known persons?19. Did you know that a few others also distributed cash to get licenses?
18. What were the reasons to give the credit note? Whose decision was this?
19. Did you know that a few excise department officials were bribed?
20 Have you also benefited from the new policy? Did you ever demand anything?
21 If the new policy was good then why did you scrap it?
22. Did any license holder, liquor businessmen oppose you for scrapping the new policy?. Who were they?
23. What is your business with Sameer Mahendru?
24. Do you know any Rishi Bali?Sources have claimed that this would be the line of questioning. Sisodia will also be asked about the money trail.The CBI has begun the questioning, and the sources said that it would take place in many parts.
Earlier in the day Sisodia alleged that the CBI is preparing to arrest him. "They are preparing to arrest me by making a completely fake case against me. I was to go to Gujarat for election campaign in the coming days. These people are losing Gujarat badly. Their purpose is to stop me from going to Gujarat election campaign," tweeted Sisodia.
The AAP leader also said that during his visit to Gujarat he told the people that they will build wonderful schools like Delhi in Gujarat but "these people" do not want good schools to be built in Gujarat. However, Sisodia did not directly mention the CBI.
"When I went to Gujarat, I told the people of Gujarat that we will build wonderful schools like Delhi for your children in Gujarat too. People are very happy. But these people do not want good schools to be built in Gujarat also, people of Gujarat should also study and progress," he stated in another tweet.
In a series of tweets, Sisodia said, "A completely fake case has been prepared against me. Nothing was found in the raid at my residence, search of my bank lockers and enquiries made at my village. It is a totally fake case."
The Delhi deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is one of the main accused in the FIR registered in the matter by the CBI. Kejriwal also termed the case against his deputy as "fake".
"Nothing was found in the raid at the residence of Manish and his bank locker. The case against him is totally fake. He had to go to Gujarat for campaigning that's why he is being arrested but the campaigning will not stop. Every person in Gujarat is campaigning for the AAP in Gujarat," Kejriwal tweeted.
Sisodia also linked his questioning with elections in Gujarat, saying campaigning in the state will not stop even after he goes to jail. Every Gujarati has awakened now and everyone there is campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs and electricity, Sisodia said and added the upcoming polls in Gujarat will be a "movement".
Earlier Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Deputy Chief Minister will be arrested by the probe agency today. The CBI has asked Sisodia to appear before it at its headquarters at 11 am on Monday. (with Agency inputs)
