Manish Sisodia appears before CBI for questioning in liquor scam

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is appearing today at 11 am before CBI for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the national capital.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned a number of people, including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, the officials said.

The agency has also arrested Vijay Nair, an AAP worker and the former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company, and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, they said.

The CBI had registered an FIR in a special court here in August against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by the exercise of personal influence.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy, which was brought out in November last year, the officials said.