The CBI, however, said that it has not issued lookout notice against Manish Sisodia or any other accused in the Delhi excise policy case.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday claimed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a lookout notice against him and termed the move a "drama" as the agency found "nothing" during a raid at his residence. He said he is "roaming freely" in Delhi and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he is unable to find him.
However, the CBI later on Sunday denied having issued any such notice against Sisodia or any other accused in the Delhi excise policy case. "As of now" no Look Out Circulars (LOC) have been issued against any of the accused in the case, PTI quoted CBI officials as saying on Sisodia's claim. Officials added that the CBI has also not felt the need to issue an LOC against public servants so far because they cannot leave the country without intimating the government.
Sisodia is among 15 people named as accused in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy. The central agency has also named two companies in the FIR. Besides Sisodia, public servants including former excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, former Deputy Excise Commissioner Anand Tiwari and assistant excise commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar, nine businessmen and two companies are accused in the alleged scam by the CBI.
The CBI on Friday raided 31 locations including Sisodia's residence in connection with the irregularities in the Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.
In a tweet in Hindi, Sisodia said, "All your raids have failed, nothing was found. Misappropriation of even a single penny was not found. Now you have issued a lookout notice stating that Manish Sisodia cannot be found. What is this drama Modi ji? I am roaming freely in Delhi, tell me where I have to come. Are you unable to find me?"
The CBI's Friday raids came after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena last month recommended a probe by the agency into the alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses in the implementation of the policy that came into effect from November 17 last year. The Delhi government withdrew the policy in July after Saxena recommended the probe.
(With PTI Inputs)