Excise policy ‘scam’: Manish Sisodia fabricated public opinion, alleges CBI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 27

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia of “dishonestly and fraudulently” preparing grounds through “fabricated public opinions” for incorporating provisions in the excise policy as per his “pre-conceived” ideas.

In a supplementary charge sheet filed in a special court here on April 25 the agency alleged that he “Planted” manufactured public opinions in support of the excise policy by getting favourable views from interns of Delhi Minority Commission to make grounds for the now scrapped policy.

The special court today took cognisance of the CBI’s charge sheet, in which the agency had named Sisodia. He is also facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the excise policy case.

In the charge sheet, the CBI said the Delhi government had constituted an expert committee on overhauling the excise policy, which had given its recommendations.

Sisodia was unhappy with the recommendations, so he asked the then excise commissioner Rahul Singh to seek public opinion by placing the committee report on a web site, the CBI said.

Sisodia “got fabricated certain emails through Zakir Khan, chairperson of Delhi Minorities Commission, which were sent by interns of Delhi Minorities Commission on the dedicated email ID of the excise department...With a copy to... accused Manish Sisodia,” the CBI alleged.

The agency has relied heavily on the testimonies of government officials, including the FIR named accused former excise commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, against whom the CBI could not find any incriminating evidence of criminal misconduct and cited him as a witness only.

The agency said that his statements recorded before a Magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC are “relevant” to prove the accusations against Sisodia and others.