Manish Sisodia skips ACB summons in classroom construction graft case

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Monday skipped a summons issued by Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) for questioning in a case of alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms in government schools, official sources said.

Advertisement

The ACB had summoned AAP leaders Sisodia and former PWD minister Satyendar Jain for questioning. While Jain was questioned for over five hours by the ACB on Friday, Sisodia was supposed to appear on Monday.

“Manish Sisodia’s counsel informed us that he won’t be able to come today. He will be called again,” an ACB source said.

The counsel cited “certain pre-scheduled arrangements” as the reason for Sisodia not appearing in person before the agency, the source said.

“We have sought details of the dates when Sisodia would be available in Delhi from his counsel. If we do not get a reply by Tuesday, we will decide on a date and serve the summons,” the source added.

According to AAP sources, Sisodia had a pre-planned engagement due to which he couldn’t appear before the ACB and his counsel has sent a reply to the agency.

Delhi Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, meanwhile, accused former deputy chief minister Sisodia of “looting” Rs 2,000 crore in the name of “building classrooms” when AAP was in power in the capital.

“Neither you (Sisodia) are the deputy chief minister, neither an MP or an MLA, nor a councillor. Then how come you are so busy? You looted Rs 2,000 crore in the name of building classrooms. You will not be spared. You will have to go to jail. The law will catch up with you,” Sirsa said in a video message uploaded on X.

“Manish Sisodia’s refusal to appear before the ACB is a clear sign of his guilt in the classroom construction scam. But no evasion can shield him from the truth. He will be held accountable for every rupee looted under the guise of AAP’s so-called Education Model,” Sirsa wrote in the post.

The summons came after the ACB registered an FIR in the matter on April 30 based on allegations of financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of more than 12,000 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in Delhi government schools.