Manish Sisodia’s residence raided by CBI, Arvind Kejriwal says bid to stop Delhi’s good work

CBI sources said Sisodia’s premises were among 21 locations being searched across the country. “Premises of three top excise officers in Delhi are also being searched,” a CBI officer said.

CBI raids Manish Sisodia |Read the latest news and updates

Among the locations, the CBI also searched premises linked to former Delhi Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and former Deputy Commissioner, Excise, Anand Tiwari.

“CBI has come. I welcome them. We are steadfastly (kattar) honest. Building the future of lakhs of children. It is unfortunate that those who do work in the country are harassed like this. That is why our country has not become number 1 until today,” Sisodia said. The raid comes days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a ‘mission’ to ‘Make India number 1’ at a mega event at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium.

हम सीबीआई का स्वागत करते हैं. जाँच में पूरा सहयोग देंगे ताकि सच जल्द सामने आ सके. अभी तक मुझ पर कई केस किए लेकिन कुछ नहीं निकला. इसमें भी कुछ नहीं निकलेगा. देश में अच्छी शिक्षा के लिए मेरा काम रोका नहीं जा सकता.

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) August 19, 2022

Kejriwal also reacted to the raids, “Delhi’s model of education and health are being discussed all over the world. They want to stop it. That is why they are raiding and arresting our Education and Health ministers. In the past 75 years, whoever tried to do work was stopped. That is why India has been left behind. We will not let Delhi’s good work stop.”

He also wrote, “On a day when America’s top newspaper, NYT, praises the Delhi model of Education and prints the picture of Sisodia, the same day the Centre sends CBI to his house. We welcome the CBI, we will cooperate fully. Raids were conducted earlier too – they found nothing then and they will find nothing now.”

जिस दिन अमेरिका के सबसे बड़े अख़बार NYT के फ़्रंट पेज पर दिल्ली शिक्षा मॉडल की तारीफ़ और मनीष सिसोदिया की तस्वीर छपी, उसी दिन मनीष के घर केंद्र ने CBI भेजी

CBI का स्वागत है। पूरा cooperate करेंगे। पहले भी कई जाँच/रेड हुईं। कुछ नहीं निकला। अब भी कुछ नहीं निकलेगा https://t.co/oQXitimbYZ

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 19, 2022

The development comes less than a month after Delhi L-G Vinay Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, putting Sisodia, in-charge of the excise department, directly in the line of fire. Following this, the Delhi government had on July 30 announced it was withdrawing the new policy.

The LG’s recommendations had followed a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the matter. The report, which officials said was submitted on July 8, accuses Sisodia of providing undue benefits to liquor vend licencees in lieu of “kickbacks” and “commissions”, and the money being used in the recent Punjab elections.

“Delhi Chief Secretary submitted a report highlighting procedural lapses and post tender benefits given to licencees. The Delhi L-G has sent recommendations to the Ministry of Home Affairs to get a CBI investigation done into the Delhi Excise Policy,” The LG’s office had said in a statement earlier.

The Chief Secretary’s report had alleged that the “Excise department, under direct orders of Sisodia, decided to allow a waiver of Rs 144.36 crore singularly to the liquor cartel, on the tendered licence fee, under the excuse of the Covid pandemic”.

The report also alleged that decisions taken by the Excise department did not have the approval of the competent authority, which is the Cabinet and, subsequently, the Lt Governor.

The Delhi government had introduced the new policy to increase government revenue, improve consumer experience, reduce corruption and redistribute liquor shops in an equitable manner. Under the new policy, implemented in November last year, only private liquor shops were to run in the Capital.