Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed his deputy Manish Sisodia would be framed in a "fake case" by the Central Bureau of Investigation and arrested in a few days, his comments coming after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses.
Sisodia heads the Excise department of the Delhi government
In an online press briefing, Kejriwal also said that he has known Sisodia for 22 years and that he was a "hardcore honest" man. "I came to know that a case has been sent to the CBI against Manish Sisodia and they are going to arrest him in a few days. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case," Kejriwal said, reports PTI.
"This case will not hold in court. Manish is a hardcore honest man and he will walk free," he said. The chief minister said Aam Aadmi Party leaders are not afraid of going to jail as they have done nothing wrong.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.
'Financial quid pro quo'
The LG has found "substantive indications" of "financial quid pro quo" at the "top political level" wherein the excise minister "took and got executed major decisions in violation of the statutory provisions" and notified the Excise Policy that had "huge financial implications", according to sources.
Sisodia, the LG claims to have found, also extended undue financial favours to the liquor licensees much after the tenders had been awarded and thus caused huge losses to the exchequer.
The Excise department gave a waiver of of Rs 144.36 crores to the licensees on the tendered license fee under the excuse of COVID-19 pandemic. It also refunded earnest money of Rs 30 crores to the lowest bidder of the licence of Airport Zone, when it failed to obtain NOC' from the airport authorities, claimed sources.
'Gross violations of Excise rules'
It was in gross violation of Rule 48(11)(b) of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, which clearly stipulates that the successful bidder must complete all formalities for grant of license failing which all deposits made by him shall stand forfeited to the government, said the note, they said.
Further, the excise department in its November 8, 2021 order revised the formula of calculation of rates of foreign liquor and removed the levy of import pass fee of Rs 50 per case on beer "without approval of the competent authority" making it cheaper for retailers causing loss of revenue to the state exchequer, they claimed further.
The "lapses" in awarding license for liquor vends were also reported by the Chief Secretary and the excise department also relaxed provisions of the tender document to provide undue financial favours to the retailers, instead of acting against them for default in payment of license fee, interest and penalty for non-genuine reasons, sources said.
Decisions redflagged
Some of the decisions taken by Sisodia were also redflagged by the then LG on being taken without the approval of Delhi Cabinet, they added.
The illegal decisions taken in the past were attempted to be legalized by getting the stamp of a post facto Cabinet decision as recently as on July 14, which in itself was in violation of laid down rules and procedures, they claimed.
The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented from November 17 last year under which retail licences were given to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones.
Many liquor stores failed to open for being located in non-confirming areas of the city. Several such vends were sealed by the municipal corporations, they said.
The BJP and Congress had vociferously opposed the policy and lodged complaint with the LG as well as central agencies for a probe into it.
