CBI raids Sisodia's office, they are welcome, he tweets

A Central Bureau of Investigation team descended on the office of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday to seek some records related to the Delhi Excise policy case, according to agency officials.

While city government sources said that the CBI team was conducting "searches" at Sisodia's office at Delhi Secretariat, agency officials maintained that the CBI "visited" the premises to collect documents and no "raid or search" was being carried out.

Taking to Twitter, Sisodia claimed the agency did not find anything against him during previous raids and this time too it will be the same as he has done nothing wrong.

"The CBI has again reached my office today. They are welcome.

"They conducted raids at my house, searched the locker, made enquiries in my village. Nothing was found then and nothing will be found now because I have done no wrong. Have worked honestly for the education of Delhi's children," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)leader said.

Agency officials said that "no search or raid is taking place at the office of the Deputy Chief Minister by the CBI".

They said the team may have gone to collect some records in the excise policy case or seek clarifications.

The CBI probe into the alleged excise scam was recommended last year by Delhi LG VK Saxena. The agency had registered a case against several persons including Sisodia.

The CBI had also questioned the AAP leader in connection with the case for several hours besides conducting raids at his official residence.

The agency filed its first charge sheet against seven accused on November 25 last year. Sisodia did not figure in the document.

Officials said investigators have kept the probe open into the alleged role of Sisodia, a senior AAP leader, and others named in the First Information Report (FIR).

Arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally were among the seven accused named in the charge sheet.

"Further investigation is continuing to investigate the role of accused named in the FIR and other persons on various allegations including conspiracies with other licensees, money trails, cartelisation and larger conspiracies in the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy," the CBI spokesperson had said in a statement.

It is alleged the Delhi government's policy to grant licences to liquor traders was influenced in favour of certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

"It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including in the modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licencees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, the extension of L-1 license without approval, etc.

"It was also alleged that illegal gains on account of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts," the CBI spokesperson had said.