More trouble for Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, named in 'snooping' case

New Delhi, March 16

The CBI has registered an FIR and named six persons, including arrested former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, to initiate an investigation into the Delhi Government “feedback unit” (FBU) case.

Taking note of the CBI FIR, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleged that PM Narendra Modi had a plan to slap several false cases against Sisodia to keep him in custody for a long period. The BJP and the Congress said the agency should probe the FBU snooping scandal from the “sedition and internal security angles”.

Already arrested by the CBI in the excise policy case and at present in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate, the trouble for 51-year-old Sisodia aggravated after the agency registered a fresh FIR against him and five others on March 14, 2023, for alleged criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In the FIR, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the CBI has named Sisodia, 1992-batch IRS officer Sukesh Kumar Jain, who was then Secretary, Vigilance, and retired CISF DIG Rakesh Kumar Sinha, who was working as Special Adviser to the CM and Joint Director in the FBU.

Besides, former Joint Deputy Director, Intelligence Bureau, Pradeep Kumar Punj, who was working as Deputy Director of the FBU, retired Assistant Commandant, CISF, Satish Khetrapal, who was working as a feedback officer, and Gopal Mohan, Adviser, Anti-Corruption, to Kejriwal, were also named in the FIR. The case relates to the FBU set up by AAP to gather feedback regarding the working of various bodies under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Government to check corruption, the FIR mentioned.

The CBI action is the outcome of a preliminary inquiry which had “prima facie disclosed the offences” against the named accused.