ED questions Manish Sisodia’s PA in liquor rip-off case

On Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s private assistant as a part of its ongoing cash laundering investigation into suspected anomalies within the now defunct excise coverage. “The agency is questioning Devendra Sharma and recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)”, the ED stated.

According to the reviews, the ED officers carried out raids at Sharma’s residence. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia took cognizance of the incident and blatantly cornered the BJP for misusing the central company. He stated that his assistant had been arrested and that the arrest was made because of concern of defeat in elections.

इन्होंने झूठी FIR कर मेरे घर रेड करवाई, बैंक लॉकर तलाश लिए, मेरे गाँव में जाँच कर ली लेकिन मेरे ख़िलाफ़ कहीं कुछ नहीं मिला
आज इन्होंने मेरे PA के घर पर ईडी की रेड करी वहाँ भी कुछ नहीं मिला तो अब उसको गिरफ़्तार कर के ले गये है.

भाजपा वालो! चुनाव में हार का इतना डर..

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) November 5, 2022

“They raided my house by filing a false FIR, searched for bank lockers, and checked in my village but nothing was found against me anywhere. Today, they raided my PA’s house and did not find anything there, so now they have arrested him and taken him away. BJP people! So much fear of defeat in elections”, Sisodiya tweeted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) listed Sisodia as an accused in an FIR filed in August over suspected anomalies within the Delhi liquor coverage. On August 19, the CBI raided 31 places across the nation, together with Sisodia’s dwelling. While Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stated it was an effort to coerce Sisodia and different MLAs into becoming a member of the BJP and destabilizing the federal government, the BJP denied the allegations.

The CBI summoned the Delhi minister for interrogation final month. Following this, Sisodia had claimed that after 9 hours of questioning, he was compelled to stop AAP and that the case towards him supposed to make sure the success of ‘Operation Lotus’. 

However, the CBI later printed a press release rejecting Sisodia’s accusations, claiming that he was examined solely on the costs within the First Information Report and the fabric gathered all through the investigation. The excise scheme got here below scrutiny when the Delhi LG proposed a CBI investigation into potential anomalies within the execution of Delhi’s Excise Policy 2021-22. In addition, the LG suspended 11 excise officers.