CBI team leaves Sisodia's house, seizes computer, cellphone
Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Aug, 2022 12:29 PM
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The day-long search operation by the CBI at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the excise policy row came to end at 10:36 pm on Friday.
As per sources, the CBI officials have sezied the cellphone and computer of Sisodia, along with some documents, at the end of the search operation that began on Friday morning. sh The CBI teams on Friday conducted raids at 21 places across seven states in connection with the alleged irregularities in Delhi's new excise policy.
The CBI has mentioned 16 names in its FIR, with Sisodia as the No. 1 accused. The FIR has been lodged under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 477-A (falsification of accounts) of the Indian Penal Code.
The allegations against Sisodia are that liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore, and the licence holders were allegedly given extension as per their own will.
It also said that Sisodia and few liquor barrons were actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to public servants, who have been made accused in the case.
"Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without approval of competent authroity with an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender," read the FIR, which has been accessed by IANS.
Acceding to the major demand of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Channi said the foundation stone of a convention centre for PITEX spread over 10 acres would be laid within a week to enable the organisation to carry out diverse range of activities to promote trade and industry in the region in a big way.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that Punjab had reported four deaths due to shortage of Oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Welcoming the leaders in the party, Shekhawat said that the BJP will be strengthened in Punjab. "They have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they will strengthen the organisation in the state. BJP is moving ahead in Punjab and will create a new history," he said, noting all the new joinees are prominent names in their respective fields.
Sharing details, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said keeping in view the recent recoveries of RDX, hand grenades and pistols from the border district, strong barricading has been done.
The BJP, which is likely to contest the Punjab assembly polls on its own for the first time after its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked away, will be banking on leaders from the opposition parties and prominent personalities to make its electoral presence felt in the state. In the last assembly polls in 2017, the BJP had won only three out of the 23 seats it contested.
Slamming Amarinder Singh for his "myopic" mindset towards the poor, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Friday that the former CM targeted him because he had raised issues of the common man.
