NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with its ongoing probe into the Delhi liquor scam case on at 11 am April 16. Kejriwal was not named an accused but his suspected role in granting Cabinet nod to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy is under the scanner.
The AAP called it a conspiracy and confirmed that Kejriwal would appear before the agency on Sunday. The party alleged that the CBI has summoned Kejriwal because he spoke about the Adani issue and asserted that such notices will not deter their fight against corruption.
The Central probe agency has arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on February 26 in connection with this case. He continues to be in judicial custody since then.
There are allegations that money raised from tweaking the liquor policy in favour of certain dealers and the "South Lobby" was diverted to the Goa elections by the AAP and, according to agency sources, is under investigation as part of the money trail.
The sources said the process of policy formulation and the influence of the South Lobby, besides changes in the draft stages, were in the knowledge of the chief minister, which made it necessary to put questions to him.
Kejriwal may also be asked about an "untraceable" file containing details of the expert committee, public comments when the policy was at a nascent stage of formulation and the referral of the issue to the group of ministers (GoM) headed by Sisodia. Besides, the Delhi CM may also be interrogated over his possible conversations with suspects in the case, they said.
Sources have also indicated that the final role of Kejriwal, whether as a witness or an accused, will be decided while filing a chargesheet in the case after considering multiple factors. As of now, the Chief Minister is expected to answer questions as a witness, they said.
The CBI is planning for an elaborate security arrangement around its headquarters and hence kept the questioning day on Sunday, when offices in the vicinity remain closed.
In the FIR, the CBI has alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021–22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it.
"It was further alleged that irregularities were committed, including modifications in the excise policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver and reductions in the licence fee, the extension of the L-1 licence without approval, etc," the CBI had said after the filing of the FIR on August 17, last year.
In July last year, Delhi L-G V.K. Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the allegations that the now-scrapped excise policy gave "undue benefits" to private liquor vendors. Later in August, the CBI raided over 20 locations in Delhi-NCR and Punjab. Sisodia's house was among the locations that were raided.
Describing the CBI's summons a conspiracy to arrest the Delhi CM, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "The Delhi chief minister had spoken about the Adani issue in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha. That same day, I told him that you will be next. The Narendra Modi-led Centre is corrupt from head to toe and Mr Kejriwal's fight against corruption won't stop due to such notices."
"This notice is a conspiracy to arrest Mr Kejriwal. This notice will neither be able to silence the AAP nor Mr Kejriwal," Mr Singh said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva responded to the development, stating that the truth had prevailed. "Satyamev Jayate. From the very first day, we have been saying that Mr Kejriwal is the central figure in the excise policy scam and that it was at his instructions that it unfolded in Delhi. We welcome the summons issued to Mr Kejriwal, the mastermind of the scam," he said.
Delhi congress unit chief Anil Kumar said that this summon validates our assertion from the beginning that Mr Kejrwal was the mastermind behind the liquor scam, as the PA of Sisodia had disclosed that the controversial liquor policy was formulated at the residence of Kejriwal and it was finalised with his approval.
The RJD on Friday taunted the Modi government after the Delhi ChMminister was summoned by the CBI for questioning, saying it should put all the Opposition leaders in a gas chamber.
"I would request the Prime Minister and the Union home minister that they should put all the Opposition leaders in a gas chamber and finish them off Nazi-style," RJD MP and spokesperson Manoj Jha said.
The sharp reaction of the RJD came against the backdrop of party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family facing heat from the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in the railway land for jobs "scam".
