Delhi excise policy case: CBI issues lookout notice against Manish Sisodia and others

CBI has issued a lookout notice against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 12 other people named in a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the central agency on liquor policy violations, ANI reported.

Sisodia has now been prohibited to travel abroad. The lookout notice comes a day after Sisodia criticised the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for misusing the central agencies against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) because its work in the education and health sector is being discussed globally.

He said the centre wanted to stop AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal because it see him as the main challenger to PM Modi in the 2024 general election. 

The CBI on Saturday recorded the statements of three of the accused as it began the questioning in the alleged corruption case related to the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy, officials said.

The agency is also examining the documents seized on Friday during raids at 31 places, including the residence of Sisodia, who is among the 15 named in the FIR, they said.

The three accused were called to the CBI headquarters where their statements were recorded and they were confronted with some documents of financial transactions recovered during the searches, the officials said, PTI reported.

The CBI has invoked the IPC section related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Public servants including Krishna, former Deputy Excise Commissioner Anand Tiwari and assistant excise commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar, nine businessmen and two companies are among those named in the FIR.

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