Amidst allegations of corruption against Manish Sisodia, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to issue a lookout circular against the Delhi Deputy Chief Minister in connection with the Excise Policy scam 2021-2022. The agency has clarified that the circular is under process and will be issued soon.
As per reports, a lookout circular prevents the accused from leaving India and gives the central agency power to detain him/her for violating the conditions of the order. It must be mentioned that CBI had earlier named 15 people in a First Information Report (FIR), which it filed in connection to the case.
CBI has issued look out circular against Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and 13 others.
— snehanshu shekhar (@snehanshus) August 21, 2022
They all have been named in the FIR filed by the CBI
The Look out circular prevents an Individual From leaving the country And S/He can be detain at Point Of Disembarkation. pic.twitter.com/CFyjiNm7mv
Look out circulars are now used routinely by the CBI to prevent high-profile accused from leaving the country and evade investigation.
The Education Minister of Delhi, however, seems to be unaware of what lookout notice is issued for.
आपकी सारी रेड फैल हो गयी, कुछ नहीं मिला, एक पैसे की हेरा फेरी नहीं मिली, अब आपने लुक आउट नोटिस जारी किया है कि मनीष सिसोदिया मिल नहीं रहा। ये क्या नौटंकी है मोदी जी?
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) August 21, 2022
मैं खुलेआम दिल्ली में घूम रहा हूँ, बताइए कहाँ आना है? आपको मैं मिल नहीं रहा?
Taking to Twitter, Sisodia alleged that since the CBI got nothing during the raid, and claimed that they have issued lookout notice because ‘he is not traceable’. He said how he is roaming freely in Delhi and asked where is he supposed to come. “You said you could not find me,” he asked PM Modi.
CBI sought permission from President Draupadi Murmu
Citing sources, Hindustan Times reported that the CBI sought the mandatory approval of President Draupadi Murumu before lodging a case against Manish Sisodia.
According to Section 17A [pdf] of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it is required to recieve the assent of the President to probe legislators in Union Territories. Similarly, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi can provide the permissiom to lodge cases against the excise officials.
An officer told the news publication, “An FIR was filed against Sisodia on August 17 only after receiving the 17A sanction from the President’s office. Once the FIR was registered, the LoCs (look our circulars) were issued against all named 13 individuals, including Sisodia, so that immigration authorities are alerted in case anyone travels out of India.”
Allegations of corruption in the Excise Policy Scam
At the heart of the controversy is the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-2022. The now-scrapped liquor policy of the Delhi government was originally proposed in 2020. After coming into effect in November 2021, it changed the manner in which alcohol was sold in Delhi.
Until then, only government-owned liquor vendors were permitted to sell alcohol. The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022 introduced private players in the market. The National Capital was divided into 32 zones and a total of 27 private vendors were to ply in each zone.
Every municipal ward had 2-3 liquor vendors operating in the area. The private liquor shops were allowed to attract crowds by offering discounts on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). They could deliver liquor at home, and even keep shops open till 3 am in the morning.
The drastic policy change resulted in a 27% increase in government revenue to ₹8900 crores. At the same time, it marked the complete exit of the Delhi government from the liquor business.
While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the AAP government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Naresh Kumar, who was appointed the Chief Secretary of Delhi in April 2022, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy.
The Chief Secretary prepared a report and sought the response of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the head of the Excise Department. The report blamed the Deputy CM for making changes to the excise policy without the authorisation of the Lieutenant Governor and providing ‘undue benefits’ to the liquor vendors.
Manish Sisodia reportedly waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He also caused loss to the Excise Department and benefitted liquor licensees by waiving the import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case.
All these changes were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993. The CBI had therefore registered a case against Manish Sisodia and 14 others.
(This report has been updated with the latest available information)
