Delhi liquor scam: Manish Sisodia’s CBI questioning today; 10 points

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is scheduled to be questioned today by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged excise policy scam case. Sisodia, who is also the finance minister in the Delhi Cabinet, was summoned last Sunday. But Sisodia asked for some time due to the ongoing Budget exercise. Following which, the CBI asked him to appear on February 26. The liquor policy case has been at the top of the long list of friction points between the AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. On October 17, 2022, Sisodia was interrogated by the probing agency and raids were also carried out at his residence and bank lockers in connection with the case.

On Sunday morning before the scheduled questioning, Sisodia tweeted and invoked freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and said he was not scared of going to jail.
"Going to CBI again today, will cooperate fully in the investigation. The love of lakhs of children and the blessings of crores of countrymen is with me. I don't care if I have to spend a few months in jail. I am a follower of Bhagat Singh, Bhagat Singh hanged to death for the country. Go to jail for such false allegations is not a big deal," he tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier in the day, security outside the residence of Sisodia was heightened in relation to the case.

Here are the top 10 developments: 

1. The CBI summoned Sisodia almost three months after filing its chargesheet. The CBI has named seven accused in the liquor policy case chargesheet, which has no mention of Sisodia. 
2. Sisodia is expected to be questioned about the former excise policy, his alleged links with liquor traders, and politicians, and claims made by witnesses in their statements. 
3. A PTI report said that the CBI has prepared an exhaustive set of questions for Sisodia.  
4. The BJP has alleged that the Delhi government adopted the old liquor sale policy to cover up corruption in the excise department, the portfolio held by Sisodia.  
5. The CBI has said it is trying to explore the alleged link of a "South Lobby" of businessmen and politicians making the Delhi liquor policy swing in their favour using middlemen, traders and bureaucrats. Recently, the CBI arrested Butchibabu Gorantla, a former chartered accountant of K Kavitha, leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in this regard. 
6. The CBI has claimed that it has got confessional statements of Sisodia's "close associate" Dinesh Arora, and information gleaned from questioning of alleged members of 'South Lobby' based on which they would question Sisodia. 
7. The CBI has alleged the AAP government's policy to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. 
The CBI has further alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the extension of L-1 license without approval, etc. 
8. The AAP has said that the BJP government at the Centre was behind the Lieutenant Governor's decision to send the CBI after Sisodia. 
9. AAP has said that Sisodia will fully cooperate with the investigation and asserted that it is a “hardcore honest” party.

10. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that his sources have confirmed that his deputy will be arrested on Sunday by the CBI. “The CBI has called Manish Sisodia for questioning. Our sources are saying that he will be arrested on Sunday... It is very sad,” Kejriwal said at a summit.