New Delhi: After around 8 hours of questioning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy scam case on Sunday. Sisodia was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act, agency sources said. He is the second minister from Arvind Kejriwal's cabinet to be arrested after Satyendar Jain.
Sisodia was arrested in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22 after nearly eight hours of questioning during which his answers were not found satisfactory, officials said. Sisodia arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11.12 am for the second round of questioning, they said.
The officials of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI grilled the minister on various aspects of the Excise policy, his alleged link with Dinesh Arora and other accused in the FIR, and details of message exchanges from multiple phones among others, they said. The CBI investigators were not satisfied with the responses provided by Sisodia and alleged that he was not cooperating in the investigation and avoiding clarifications on crucial points sought by them resulting in his arrest, they said.
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Before arriving at the CBI office, Sisodia said he was not afraid of going to jail over "false allegations". When he came out of his residence Sunday morning, Sisodia was surrounded by a huge number of party supporters. Later, delivering a speech en route to the CBI office, Sisodia said baseless charges were being framed to arrest him. He asserted that the AAP would "free the nation from the stranglehold" of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
The sympathisers and activists of AAP's Delhi unit arrived in large numbers and stayed put outside the Delhi Deputy CM's residence. The AAP leaders denounced the alleged 'house arrest' of Manish Sisodia and blamed the BJP leadership for the same.
"They are sending me to jail today for baseless charges. All the people here and those who are seeing me on TV, you are my family. I want to tell you that I have worked with honesty and dedication for which you have loved me. My wife has always supported me during all my ups and downs. Today they are sending me to jail and my family will be alone. My wife is unwell and my son studies at a university. You have to take care of my family," Sisodia addressed his followers.
On his part, Sisodia said he was not bothered even to go to jail and that he was a follower of Bhagat Singh. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also hinted that Sisodia may be arrested today. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have asserted that Sisodia is being "victimised" in the name of excise policy case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Sisodia to question him about the decisions taken regarding the excise policy.
The AAP leaders have termed the CBI summons as a ploy to detain Sisodia and called it an attempt to undermine the political rivals. Already, AAP convener Kejriwal has dismissed the allegations, saying that there was no truth in the allegations of the liquor scam in Delhi. Sisodia's name was not directly implicated anywhere in the case.
Kejriwal on Sunday described going to jail for the sake of society as "not a curse but a matter of pride". As Sisodia headed to appear before the CBI, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, saying, "Almighty is with Manish. Blessings of lakhs of children and parents are with you. When you go to jail for the country, it is not a curse but a matter of pride. Pray to the gods that you will return from jail soon," Kejriwal tweeted.
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