Manish Sisodia moves SC against arrest by CBI in liquor scam

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court to challenge his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy case. The matter will be mentioned before the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday and produced before a court on Monday. he was sent to a 5-day CBI custody. The AAP leader was arrested under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 477 A (intent to defraud) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Yesterday, the CBI told the Delhi court that Sisodia has been giving evasive replies to their questions and is unable to explain at least six problematic provisions in the liquor policy that were not part of the first draft. The CBI said the changes were made at the behest of a liquor lobby in exchange for kickbacks to the tune of ₹ 30 crore.

The CBI has said it is focusing on the alleged influence of a "South Lobby" of businessmen and politicians in making the liquor policy swing in their favor using middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats. Recently, the CBI arrested Butchibabu Gorantla, a former chartered accountant of K Kavitha, leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.