Sisodia claims look out circular issued against him; CBI denies

Facing the heat in the excise policy "corruption" case, Delhi's deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday claimed the Central Bureau of Investigation issued a look out circular against him, but officials said the agency has not taken such action "as of now" against any of the accused..

While the Aam Aadmi Party intensified its attack on the Modi government, accusing it of playing the "CBI-Enforcement Directorate" game every morning, the Bharatiya Janata Party targeted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying he is getting nervous as the roots of the scam are leading to his doorstep, and asserted that no one is above the law including the Aam Aadmi Party convenor.

Claiming the CBI found "nothing" during the raid at his residence on Friday, Sisodia said the agency was doing a drama of issuing a look out circular against him when he is "roaming freely" in Delhi and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he is unable to find him.

However, officials said the CBI has also not felt the need to issue any LOC against public servants so far because they cannot leave the country without intimating the government.

"As of now" no look out circular have been issued against any of the accused in the case, the officials said.

They said the process of scrutinising documents is going on and notices are being issued to suspects for questioning.

The BJP and AAP have been attacking each other with a flurry of press conferences and tweets after the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday raided 31 locations including Sisodia's residence in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.

Addressing a press conference, the Aam Aadmi Party's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj hit out at the Modi government over the alleged LOC.

"The Narendra Modi government started the day by issuing a Look Out circular against Manish Sisodia and sharing the news with all the newspapers and television channels. It is a very serious matter," he said.

Kejriwal also slammed the Centre, saying it is "fighting with the entire country" instead of working with state governments to address issues of unemployment and inflation.

The AAP had on Saturday claimed that the CBI raids were being carried out as the BJP feared Kejriwal and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be a battle between the AAP chief and Modi.

"No one is afraid of you Arvind Kejriwal ji. As the nodes of corruption are unravelling, the handcuff are coming closer. Everyone knows how nervous you are," BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said on Sunday, alleging Kejriwal was busy indulging in corruption when COVID-affected people needed his help.

"Roots of the excise policy 'scam' lead to the doorstep of corrupt Kejriwal. No one is above law, including Kejriwal, and no corrupt person will be spared," he said at a press conference.

In a tweet in Hindi, Sisodia said, "All your raids have failed, nothing was found. Misappropriation of even a single penny was not found. Now you have issued a lookout notice stating that Manish Sisodia cannot be found. What is this drama Modi ji? I am roaming freely in Delhi, tell me where I have to come. Are you unable to find me?"

Sisodia is among 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy.

Kejriwal said every morning, the Centre starts "the game of CBI-ED".

"At a time when the common man is battling inflation and crores of youths are unemployed, the central government along with all state governments should fight unemployment and inflation. Instead, they are fighting with the entire country.

The CBI raids on Friday came after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena last month recommended a probe by the agency into the alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses in the implementation of the policy that came into effect on November 17 last year.

The Delhi government withdrew the policy in July after Saxena recommended the probe.