New Delhi, August 19: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths on Friday conducted raids on the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia under its search drive at 21 places across Delhi and the National Capital Region in the excise policy case.
As per reports, the CBI has listed 15 accused, including Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, in its FIR on alleged excise scam. CBI officials also searched the car of Sisodia.
Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with unknown public servants and private persons have too been booked in the case.
The CBI raids are going on for more than 8 hours at his residence in connection with the excise policy case.
The raids are being conducted in seven states of the nation with regard to its investigation into the alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy that was introduced in November 2021. An FIR has been registered in the connection by the CBI.
Manish Sisodia took to Twitter and said: "The CBI has arrived. We are honest, building a future for lakhs of children. Unfortunate that in this country, whoever does good work is hassled just like this, that is why our country is still not number-1." "I extend my welcome to the CBI. I will cooperate with the investigation so that the truth comes out at the earliest. Till now many cases have been filed against me but nothing has come out. Nothing will come out of it either. My work cannot be stopped for a good education in the country," Sisodia tweeted.
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Delhi Chief Minister Aravind Kejriwal also tweeted his support for Sisodia saying that nothing will come out of this raid and many such happened in past. "I welcome CBI. We will cooperate fully. There have been many such probes, raids in past. Nothing came out. Nothing will come out this time too," Kejriwal tweeted.
Notably, raids are underway at 21 places in Delhi and NCR, including the residence of Manish Sisodia and premises of four public servants in the Excise Policy case.
The house of former Excise Commissioner of Delhi Arava Gopi Krishna during whose tenure the revamped Excise policy was approved, was also raided.
Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into Delhi's revamped excise policy. He approved the suspension of 11 officials over "lapses" in the implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. The suspended officials included Gopikrishna and deputy excise commissioner Anand Kumar Tiwari.
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Sisoida tweeted that allegations made against him and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain were not true.
-PTC News with ANI inputs
