CBI registers FIR against Sisodia, 5 others in ‘Feedback Unit’ case

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and five others over alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s ‘Feedback Unit’.

The FIR registered on Tuesday reads that a preliminary inquiry found that the unlawful manner of creation and working of the Feedback Unit caused wrongful loss to the government exchequer to the tune of approximately Rs 36 Lakh.

The inquiry has thus revealed that the FBU was willfully created, staffed, funded and incentivized out of public exchequer in an irregular manner by Sisodia, and Sukesh Jain, the then Secretary Vigilance, along with RK Sinha, (Retired DIG, CISF), working as Special Advisor to the CM and Joint Director, FBU, GNCTD, and P K Punj, (Retired Jt. Deputy Director, IB), working as Deputy Director, FBU, GNCTD in violation of rules and regulations and without mandatory approvals, by abuse of their official position and with a dishonest intention to utilize the FBU for purposes other than those for which it was manifestly created.

Further, the officers of FBU namely RK Sinha, PK Punj, Satish Khetrapal besides Shri Gopal Mohan, Advisor to the Chief Minister conspired to misutilize and allow embezzlement of Secret Service Fund besides using the staff of FBU for gathering political intelligence.

From the facts and circumstances, as revealed during the enquiry, the Competent Authority in CBI has ordered to convert the instant enquiry into a Regular Case under charges of dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by a public servant, forgery for the purpose of cheating, using as genuine a forged document, falsification of accounts, and criminal misconduct by a public servant.

The former Deputy Delhi CM Sisodia is currently under the ED custody in connection with the case pertaining to the same excise policy. He was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) during his judicial custody in Tihar Jail, where he was lodged.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on February 26 and sent to 14-day judicial custody on March 6. He was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court sent him to judicial custody till March 20.

The ED also made another arrest in the case earlier, as it took Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai into its custody.

The probe agency has also questioned Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha in the liquor policy case.

The excise policy was passed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

The CBI had filed a case against alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.

Sisodia was among 15 others booked in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers, some unknown public servants and private persons were booked in the case.

It was alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to the license holders including waiver or reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc.