CBI accepts Manish Sisodia's request for extra time in Delhi liquor case questioning: Latest updates

In a recent development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, in connection with an alleged scam related to the issuance of licenses for the sale of liquor in the national capital. CBI has asked Sisodia to appear before them for questioning on February 19, 2023. CBI has now accepted Sisodia's request to defer his questioning to a later date.

Here are the latest updates on the case:

• Sisodia has sought more time from the probe agency to appear for questioning citing that he received the notice a day before and is busy in the final stages of Delhi's budget process.
• His deferment request has now been accepted by the CBI in a case linked to alleged corruption in the scrapped liquor sales policy. No new date has been fixed yet.
• The deputy CM said earlier on Sunday that he is "not afraid of getting arrested and is not running away from any questions, but it shouldn't be at the cost of the people of Delhi."

• Arrested businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally are among the seven accused named in the chargesheet.

• Liquor trader Sameer Mahendru, Hyderabad-based former UK trade official Arun Ramachandra Pillai, TV channel MD Mootha Gautam, the then deputy excise commissioner Kuldeep Singh and the then assistant excise commissioner Narender Singh are also named in the chargesheet.

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• Sisodia, who has not been named as an accused in the chargesheet, was first questioned by CBI on October 17, 2022 and his house as well as bank lockers were also searched.

• The summons to Sisodia has also triggered a political debate, with the opposition parties accusing the AAP government of corruption. The AAP, on the other hand, has accused the central government of using the CBI to target its leaders.

• The CBI's investigation into the alleged liquor scam in Delhi is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen what the outcome of the investigation will be.