The CBI has taken Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, into custody today regarding the defunct liquor sales policy in the capital, which has once again brought the case to the forefront.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐พ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐
The inquiry concerns the liquor sales policy that was implemented in Delhi in 2021 but has since been revoked. Since Manish Sisodia is in charge of Delhi's excise department, he has become the focus of the investigation.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐พ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ
The policy, which deviated from the practice in most states, permitted only private stores to sell liquor and excluded government involvement. The primary objective was to curb black marketing, enhance revenue generation, and provide a better experience for consumers.
The policy also sanctioned home delivery of liquor and permitted shops to operate until 3 am. Licensees could also provide unlimited discounts. The government claimed a notable 27% surge in revenue, generating approximately โน 8,900 crore.
๐๐ข๐ช, ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐
Nonetheless, the changes promptly encountered issues, initially with the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing, which is under the BJP-led central government's jurisdiction. Later, with Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who is also a representative of the central government.
Based on a report from Delhi's highest-ranking bureaucrat, which alleged that Mr Sisodia had manipulated regulations and granted unwarranted perks to liquor vending licensees, Mr Saxena requested that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate the matter.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป'๐ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐น ๐ป๐ผ๐
Shortly after, Manish Sisodia announced that the policy would be terminated because the BJP was pressuring vendors using the investigating agencies under its influence. He also accused Anil Baijal, Mr Saxena's predecessor, of derailing the reforms with a "last-minute change."
Prior to his arrest today, Mr Sisodia had not been named in the chargesheet submitted by the agency. However, last year, the CBI searched 31 sites, including his residence. The minister stated that the agency did not find any evidence, a position that was not disputed by the agency.
๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ '๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด'
In a distinct development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an inquiry into the Delhi liquor scam, claiming money laundering and alleging that a liquor lobby known as the "South Group" paid at least โน 100 crore in bribes to AAP for its Goa election campaign through one of the arrested businessmen.
The ED broadened the investigation's reach, even implicating K Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, another fierce critic of the BJP, and detaining her former accountant. It argued that the policy resulted in a loss of โน 2,800 crore to the government.
The AAP has dismissed all accusations and stated that the inquiry is the BJP's effort to settle political scores. Nevertheless, it has indicated that it will collaborate with investigators.
