Delhi Liquor Policy Case: Arvind Kejriwal summoned; he says ‘will appear before CBI on Sunday’

Calling out all allegations against him and prominent leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party as false, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his press conference on Saturday said he will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tomorrow, April 16, 2023.

The chief minister was summoned by the CBI on Sunday for questioning in the Delhi excise police case.

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that he knew he would be next in line to be summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since the day he spoke against corruption in the Delhi assembly.

While talking to media persons, he said, "Central agencies are lying to courts against us in the liquor policy probe. Arrested people are being tortured, pressure is being created on them to nail us."

He added, "The CBI has falsely accused Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case. People were beaten to obtain false statements. The agencies are torturing people for evidence. This was a great policy to eradicate corruption."

“ED, CBI alleged Rs 100 crore bribe taken. More than 400 raids were conducted but that money was not found,” Delhi CM said. He added Delhi's excise policy was excellent, and would have ended corruption if had been implemented.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a key aide of Kejriwal, is in jail over alleged irregularities in the excise policy case.

Sisodia was arrested by ED and CBI in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy in Delhi.

The CBI arrested Sisodia on February 26, 2023. Later on March 9, the ED arrested him, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favors were extended to license holders, the license fee was waived or reduced, and the L-1 license was extended without the competent authority's approval.

The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

With Agencies Inputs