Minutes after reports surfaced about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering a money laundering case against Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday, 23 August, the central agency denied any case against him, reported news agency ANI.
The news agency further added that it had flashed the report after Additional Director of ED Sonia Narang had confirmed it on record.
Earlier in the day Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had claimed said that Sisodia may be arrested in two to three days.
Sisodia is already under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the agency named him in its FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of Delhi’s excise policy introduced in November 2021.
On Monday, Sisodia alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) in its attempt to topple Delhi government, offered to make him the Delhi Chief Minister and drop all cases against him if he joined the BJP and broke the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
CBI's Case Against Manish Sisodia
The FIR stated that Sisodia, then Delhi Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and two other senior excise department officials were "instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensees post-tender."
The CBI also raided around 20 other locations in Delhi-NCR, including the premises of Arava Gopi Krishna. The CBI inquiry was recommended in a report filed by the Delhi chief secretary in July.
The report allegedly showed prima facie violations of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 1992, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR), 1993, Delhi Excise Act, 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010.
Release Recording of ‘CM Offer’, ‘Expose’ BJP: NCP to Sisodia
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday asked the AAP to “expose” BJP’s attempts to topple the Delhi government by releasing the purported recording of the “offer” made to Manish Sisodia.
“There was talk of similar offers to MLAs in Maharashtra and eventually the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government fell. AAP says they have a recording of the 'Offer,' why wait? Release it and expose BJP,” NCP spokesperson Clyde Castro.
He further added that such attempts from the BJP were dangerous for democracy in India.
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