Manish Sisodia and the CBI ‘look out circular’ saga in excise policy case: Top developments | India News

NEW DELHI: Is there a CBI look out circular (LOC) against Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodiawho is being probed in the alleged liquor scam? Since Sunday morning, there has been a few rounds of to and fro on the issue.
While Sisodia claimed there is an LOC issued against him, the premier investigation agency denied the same and said the circulars were issued only against eight individuals named in the FIR.

This comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out searches at 31 places, including Sisodia’s residence and premises of some bureaucrats and businessmen, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
The raids that went on for nearly 15 hours came after Delhi 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.
Here are the key developments …
Sisodia claims LOC issued against him
Claiming the CBI found “nothing” during the raid at his residence on Friday, Sisodia said the agency was doing a drama by issuing a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him when he is “roaming freely” in Delhi and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he is unable to find him.
“What is all this drama about, Modi ji? Tell me where I need to come,” Sisodia wrote in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP slams Modi government
Later, Aam Aadmi Party’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj hit out at the Modi government over the alleged LOC at a press conference.
“The Narendra Modi government started the day by issuing a Look Out circular against Manish Sisodia and sharing the news with all the newspapers and television channels. It is a very serious matter,” he said.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also slammed the Centre, saying it is “fighting with the entire country” instead of working with state governments to address issues of unemployment and inflation. Kejriwal said every morning, the Centre starts “the game of CBI-ED”.
CBI’s denial
However, the CBI clarified a few hours later that it has not issued any LOC against Sisodia in the excise policy case.
“As of now” no LOCs have been issued against any of the accused in the case, CBI officials said.
The CBI issued Look Out Circulars against eight private persons named in the FIR, agency officials said, adding the agency had not felt the need for LOCs against public servants so far because they cannot leave the country without intimating the government.
Is an LOC in the works?
According to CBI, there is no LOC against Sisodia as of now. However, it does not rule out the possibility of CBI issuing one in the future.
News agencies quoting sources in the CBI said that the LOC might be issued soon, as the procedure to do so is under way.
“Due process has to be followed before issuing it [LOC] against any person,” sources said.
How does LOC work
The LOC is a circular letter used by the authorities to check whether a person travelling abroad is ‘wanted’ by the police or any agency. The circular can be used in immigration checks at international borders.
An LOC is often issued to ensure that the person absconding or wanted by the law enforcement agencies does not leave the country.
It is mostly used at the immigration checkpoints by the immigration branch at international airports and seaports.
Thus, any person who has been issued an LOC in his/her name is barred from travelling out of the country as he/she is ‘wanted’ by the law enforcement agencies of the country.

Sisodia is among 15 individuals and entities named in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government’s Excise Policy 2021-22.
Under the CBI scanner are at least two payments worth crores of rupees allegedly made to “close associates” of Sisodia by Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indospirits, who was one of the liquor traders actively involved in alleged irregularities.
BJP slams Kejriwal
Meanwhile, the BJP continued to mount its offensive on AAP following the CBI raids, repeating that Arvind Kejriwal is the “kingpin” of the scam.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Kejriwal was busy indulging in corruption when Covid-affected people needed his help.
“Roots of the excise policy ‘scam’ lead to the doorstep of corrupt Kejriwal. No one is above the law and no corrupt person will be spared,” he said, adding that it is shameful Sisodia is saying it is a “small scam of Rs one crore only”.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, who also addressed the press conference, said, “Delhi’s excise policy has proved to be a corrupt one. Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin of this entire scam.”
BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh dragged Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao into the ongoing row over the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, claiming his family members attended meetings on its formulation at a five-star hotel in the national capital.
“Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao’s family members attended meetings on the formulation of the Delhi excise policy at Oberoi Hotel. KCR’s family members got same the policy implemented in Punjab. They prepared a plan for Delhi along with Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal,” Verma alleged.
There was no reaction from Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Verma’s allegations.
Sisodia hits back
Later, Sisodia hit back at the BJP for targeting him and said that CBI, Lieutenant Governor and the saffron party are all “hand-in-glove”.
He said he was not afraid of a CBI probe but the agency should also investigate the alleged scam in the Bundelkhand Expressway construction which developed cracks just five days after the prime minister inaugurated it.
In an interview with PTI, Sisodia said his party was not scared of any investigation and asserted that the scams being alleged by BJP leaders were nothing but “shagufe (lies)”.
(With inputs from agencies)