New Delhi: The CBI will question Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday on crucial points related to its probe in the excise policy scam in which his former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the agency February 26, officials said. They said the agency may ask the chief minister about the policy formulation process especially of the “untraceable” file which was earlier slated to be put before the Council of Ministers, they said.
The file containing opinions of expert committee and public and legal opinions on it was not kept before the council and remains untraceable, they said.
The agency may also quiz Kejriwal on the statements of other accused where they have indicated the manner in which policy was allegedly influenced to favour some liquor businessmen and the South liquor lobby, they said.
In addition, the agency may also seek his role in the formulation of the excise policy and his knowledge about alleged influence being cast by the traders and South lobby members, the officials said.
Kejriwal may also be asked if he was involved in the formulation of the policy before it was given approval, they said.
Agency sources said there may be other topics on which his replies could be sought.
In a press conference Saturday, Kejriwal said he will appear before the agency as scheduled. He also alleged the BJP is circulating that he could be arrested, so the CBI may not disobey if such an order was given to the agency.
The CBI had arrested the then deputy chief minister Sisodia in connection with the case February 26 following which another case was registered against him related to alleged irregularities in the Feedback Unit.
Sisodia was last month arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and is in judicial custody.
Using digital forensics, the CBI had recovered some chats showing that the South lobby was allegedly involved in the tweaking of the excise policy in their favour, the officials claimed.
The CBI also found that the first application of the Indospirit group was dominated by the South lobby, a group of politicians and liquor traders based in Hyderabad, they said, adding some objections were raised after which the group submitted a second application.
The CBI alleged that Sisodia immediately directed excise department officials to grant the licence to the group on the basis of the second application, whereas there was no reason for him to know that another application was filed by it.
“The investigation conducted in this case so far is alleged to have revealed that the above accused Manish Sisodia has played an active role in commission of the alleged offences as he being a Member of the Group of Ministers as well as the Excise Minister had manipulated certain changes in the cabinet note, which was prepared on draft policy and was put up along with the expert committee report and the comments took opinions received from the general public and stakeholders, with some ulterior motives and designs and to help some stakeholders of the excise policy in achieving the illegal objective of cartelization and monopoly in the sale of liquor in Delhi during the above year,” Special Judge MK Nagpal had noted in his order in March.
It was alleged that it was done because of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore paid by the South liquor lobby to co-accused Vijay Nair, he had observed.
The special judge said some specific oral as well as documentary evidence to this effect is stated to have surfaced during investigation conducted so far to substantiate the above allegation as well allegations related to destruction of evidence.
PTI