Liquor Policy Case: CBI Has Given Clean Chit, Delhi L-G Must Resign, Says Manish Sisodia

Manish Sisodia's name was not included in the first chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said he was "fallaciously defamed" after his name not included in the first chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Sisodia said BJP cooked up the story of liquor scam and raided his residence, ANI reported.

Demanding the resignation of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Sisodia said, "It is clear from the CBI chargesheet that Manish Sisodia was fallaciously defamed. BJP made a false report against Delhi govt through LG and CS. CBI has given a clean-chit to Manish Sisodia."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also called the excise policy case "fake" and said attempts were made to implicate Sisodia.

"Manish's name is not in the CBI chargesheet. The whole case is fake. Nothing was found in the raids. A total of 800 officers found nothing in the probe for four months. Manish offered hope of a good future to crores of poor children in the country through a revolution in education. I am sorry that a conspiracy was hatched to defame such a person by implicating him in a false case," Kejriwal tweeted.

In its chargesheet, the CBI named arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally and five other accused, PTI reported. Sisodia, who was named in the CBI FIR, does not figure in this chargesheet.

Besides Nair and Boinpally, those named in the chargesheet are the Managing Director of India Ahead News channel Mootha Gautam, Hyderabad-based liquor businessman and a partner of Boinpally in Robin Distilleries LLP Arun R Pillai, owner of Indospirit Sameer Mahendru and two former officials of the excise department -- Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Singh and Assistant Commissioner Narender Singh.

The seven accused have been named in the chargesheet under IPC section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that Sisodia and other accused public servants recommended and awarded licences to many ineligible vendors in exchange for bribes. The policy, introduced in November last year, was withdrawn eight months later amid allegations of corruption.