Here's why CBI is probing Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia | 5 points
India Today
The CBI reached Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's residence on Friday morning. Searches were conducted in 20 locations across NCR and seven states. Here's why.
The Central Bureau of Investigation landed at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the new liquor policy. Searches were also conducted across 20 locations in the National Capital Region and in seven states. The Aam Aadmi Party has called the raids a political vendetta. However, the CBI probe on Manish Sisodia can be broadly divided into five categories.
The allegations of quid pro quo are directly against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, select bureaucrats and private players in the liquor business.
The excise policy was brought in last year on April 15 and a month later a cabinet decision was taken to benefit liquor barons. The governor's office alleged that this would have happened only if illegal gratification was given to Manish Sisodia, who was in charge of excise and finance.
A waiver of Rs 144.36 crore was given to the liquor cartel on license fee tender citing the Covid pandemic as the reason. The LG claimed this would have resulted in kickbacks and commissions.
It has now been alleged that the cabinet was not kept in the loop when this one-time waiver was given.
Sisodia then allegedly asked the cabinet to take a decision authorising him to tweak the policy so that waiver of license fee tender could be implemented, which was flagged by the LG.
Cabinet was then allowed to withdraw its earlier decision and authorised Sisodia to implement the one-time waiver.
