A second case has been registered against former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is already in jail after his arrest in the excise policy scam case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against him in its ongoing probe into a “snooping case” related to the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) alleged Feedback Unit (FBU) snooping scandal. The CBI has filed the First Information Report (FIR) against seven individuals, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in connection with the case.
The CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter and discovered that the Feedback Unit established by the Delhi government to combat corruption had also gathered “political intelligence”. Based on its findings, an FIR is now filed in this case against Manish Sisodia. Among those accused in this case are Sukesh Kumar Jain, Rakesh Kumar Sinha, who works as a Special Advisor to the Chief Minister and Joint Director of the Feedback Unit, Pradeep Kumar Punj – the Deputy Director of the Feedback Unit, and Satish Khetrapal, who works as a Feedback Officer for the GNCT of Delhi. Additionally, Gopal Mohan, who serves as the Anti-corruption Advisor to the Chief Minister of Delhi, is also among the accused.
The Union Home Ministry has given permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute Sisodia in the case on 22nd February 2023. The Home Ministry communicated this decision to the principal secretary of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, stating that the sanction was granted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought sanction to prosecute Sisodia after its preliminary investigation suggested that the ‘Feedback Unit was used to carry out ‘political snooping’ against the political rivals of AAP. It was found that the FBU was spying on political leaders, bureaucrats, and even judges. CBI’s request to sanction the prosecution of Sisodia was approved by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Vinay Kumar Saxena.
The Delhi LG wrote in his note that the seeds for the establishment of an extra-constitutional/extra-judicial body modeled after a private intelligence organization and answerable to a single person were planted at the inception.
Feedback Unit
After AAP won the election in Delhi in 2015, the vigilance division’s Feedback Unit was set up to keep the government updated on various activities taking place in multiple ministries, autonomous bodies, and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led government established a ‘Feedback Unit’ after losing control over the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in 2015. Later in 2019, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan ruled that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and by extension, the Centre will have jurisdiction over Delhi’s anti-corruption bureau.
In September 2015, the Kejriwal government established a Feedback Unit- an Extra Constitutional-Extra Judicial Intelligence Agency which became operational in February 2016. The FBU was staffed by 17 contract employees, the majority of them former officers of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Intelligence Bureau.
Manish Sisodia is already arrested in the Delhi Liquor Policy Scam Case
On Friday, 10th March 2023, a Delhi court remanded former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till 17th March 2023. The court ruled this while hearing a money laundering case filed in connection with the Delhi liquor policy regarding the excise policy for the year 2021-2022.
The court deferred Sisodia’s bail application hearing until March 21 while making the decision about ED’s remand, citing a lack of time. Manish Sisodia is remanded to ED custody till 17th March 2023. Manish Sisodia was arrested by CBI on 26th February 2023.
