Delhi liquor policy scam: CBI files chargesheet against Manish Sisodia and three others

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday charged former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and three others in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

The chargesheet, which also includes Hyderabad-based CA Butchi Babu Gorantla, Arjun Pandey and Amandeep Singh Dhall, was filed under Sections 120B, 201 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 7, 7A, 8 and 13 of the Indian Penal Code. Corruption Prevention Act.

"Investigation is on to probe the larger conspiracy and the role of other accused in the case," the probe agency said in a charge sheet filed before a special CBI court. It is to be noted that this is the second chargesheet filed by the CBI in this case. The CBI filed the first charge sheet on November 25 last year.

Earlier in the day, Sisodia's wife Seema Sisodia, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi after her condition deteriorated. Last week, Sisodi's judicial custody was extended in connection with the cases filed by the CBI and ED till April 27 and April 29 respectively.

The court recently denied bail to Sisodia, who has been in jail since February 26. He applied for bail citing his wife's deteriorating health. As part of the now defunct liquor policy, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government allegedly granted licenses to certain liquor traders on payment of bribes. However, this claim has been strongly refuted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Other irregularities allegedly committed by the AAP government included adjustments in excise duty policy, giving undue benefits to licensees, waiving or reducing license fees and extending L-1 license without approval. "It was also alleged that the illegal profits in the number of these acts were diverted to the concerned public servants by the private parties by making false entries in their books," PTI quoted a CBI spokesperson as saying.