The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh corruption case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia over alleged irregularities in Delhi government's 'Feedback Unit', news agency ANI reported on Thursday (March 16, 2023). Reacting to the CBI action, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan is to slap several false cases against his former deputy Manish and keep him in custody for a long period. "Sad for the country!," he said in a tweet. Earlier last month, the Centre had cleared the way for registering a new case against Manish Sisodia by giving sanction for prosecution to the CBI in a case related to the alleged collection of "political intelligence" through a Delhi government department.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs conveyed to Delhi's Lt Governor's office granting of sanction to prosecute Sisodia under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (powers to police for investigating a public servant).Sisodia, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail for alleged favours extended to liquor traders in the formulation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy of 2021-22, had called it a "false case". The CBI had said it found during its preliminary inquiry that the Feedback Unit (FBU), set up by the Delhi government to check corruption, allegedly collected "political intelligence" and the agency recommended that an FIR be registered against Sisodia. The Aam Aadmi Party dispensation had proposed setting up the FBU in 2015 to gather relevant information and actionable feedback regarding the working of the various departments and autonomous bodies, institutions and entities falling under the jurisdiction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and also to do "trap cases", the CBI said.