Day after Sisodia's challenge, CBI takes note of BJP's sting on liquor scam: Sources

A day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia challenged the BJP's sting video linked to the alleged liquor scam, the CBI on Friday took note of the video, said sources.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday took note of the BJP's purported sting video linked to the alleged liquor policy scam, sources told India Today. This comes a day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia challenged the video and said he is ready to be arrested if the sting video is true.

On Thursday, the BJP showed the sting video at a press conference. In the video, Amit Arora, one of the key accused in the liquor scam case, is claiming that the AAP government in Delhi deliberately kept smaller players out of its "tailor-made" excise policy to help a few persons monopolise the market. The policy now stands withdrawn.

The seven minute-long video of Amit Arora is now being examined by the CBI to find out new facts about the liquor policy scam.

Earlier, the CBI questioned Amit Arora and conducted a search at his company, Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd. As per sources, Amit Arora is allegedly a close associate of Manish Sisodia.

The CBI's FIR against Manish Sisodia in the case states that him and other public servants accused in the case took decisions pertaining to the excise policy 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with "an intention to extend undue favours to the licensees post tender".

According to the FIR, at least two payments in crores were allegedly made to "close associates" of Sisodia by Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indospirit, one of the liquor traders involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.