Manish Sisodia named 'accused no 1' in CBI's FIR in Delhi Excise Policy case

After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids on multiple locations, Republic accessed the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the agency in the Delhi Excise Policy (2021-2022) on Friday. In the FIR, the CBI has listed 15 accused in total, which includes Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as 'accused no. 1'. In addition to Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio, the CBI has named as accused then excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, then deputy excise commissioner Anand Kumar Tiwari, assistant excise commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar and nine businessmen.

In the FIR, the abovementioned are prima facie accused in commission of offences under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) and 477 A (Falsification of Accounts and Section 7 (Public servants taking gratification other than legal remuneration) of Prevention of Corruption Act. 

Manish Sisodia 'accused no. 1' in CBI FIR

The FIR was filed after consent from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which after receiving the letter of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi said in a notification, "The competent authority has decided that the matter may be referred to the CBI for a thorough enquiry."

In the letter in question, Vinai Kumar Saxena, referring to the report by Chief Secretary of Delhi, stated, "After the approval of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 on 24.05. 2021 and consequential amendments in statutory rules on 31.05.2021, various major decisions/actions have been taken and executed by the Department with the approval of the Minister-in-Charge in violation of the statutory provisions and the Notified Excise Policy, which have financial implications and are in the nature of extending undue favour to the licensee 'post tender'."