Delhi excise policy case: Manish Sisodia named as accused for first time in CBI chargesheet

Delhi liquor scam: The CBI has filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and three others in the excise policy case.  

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been named as an accused in the CBI chargesheet in the excise policy case for the first time. An additional chargesheet submitted by the central agency on Tuesday included Aam Aadmi Party leader's name.

In addition to the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the CBI has accused Hyderabad-based CA Butchi Babu Gorantla, liquor merchant Amandeep Singh Dhall, and Arjun Pandey in the additional chargesheet under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201, and 420.

Manish Sisodia was arrested for allegedly engaging in corruption during the creation and implementation of the excise policy as well as during the money laundering of the proceeds. The CBI claims that alcohol corporations were engaged in the formulation of the 2021 excise policy, for which a liquor lobby it termed the "South Group" received payments.

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, was interrogated by the CBI for over nine hours on April 16 as a witness in the excise policy case. His party protested, with the AAP leader claiming that the charges of a fraud were untrue and that the agency was operating under the BJP's direction.