Guwahati: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) denied Manish Sisodia’s assertions that he was asked to leave the Aam Aadmi Party during the nine hours he spent being questioned by the agency on Monday.
According to the CBI, the questioning was conducted “professionally and legally”. It stated that the probe would proceed in accordance with the law.
Sisodia asserted that he was asked to leave the AAP during the investigation in the CBI office after being questioned.
“Some sections of the media have aired a video in which, after leaving the CBI office, Manish Sisodia has stated on camera that during his questioning in CBI, he was threatened to leave his political party and similar such insinuations. CBI strongly refutes these allegations and reiterates that the examination of Sisodia was carried out in a professional and legal manner strictly as per the allegations against him in the FIR. The investigation of the case will continue as per law,” the statement said.
The probe agency said that the questioning of Sisodia was “strictly on the allegations in the FIR” and the evidence collected so far during the course of the investigation in the excise policy case.
“He was examined strictly on the allegations in the FIR and the evidence collected so far during the course of the investigation. His statement will be verified in due course and further action taken as per requirements of investigation,” it added.
Sisodia was called in on Monday and taken to the CBI’s headquarters in the nation’s capital where he underwent a nine-hour interrogation.
Speaking to the journalists at his home after the interrogation, Sisodia claimed that the case against him was brought not to look into any corruption but rather to “make Operation Lotus effective in Delhi.”
“Today I saw in the CBI office that there’s no issue of any scam (excise policy case). The whole case is fake. I understood all that in the 9 hour-questioning today. The case isn’t to probe any scam against me, but to make Operation Lotus successful in Delhi,” he alleged.
Sisodia further claimed that he was asked inside the CBI office to leave AAP and said that he was offered to be made the Chief Minister.
“I was asked inside the CBI office to leave (AAP), or else such cases will keep getting registered against me. I was told ‘Satyendar Jain ke upar konse sachhe cases hain?’…I said I won’t leave AAP for BJP. They said they’ll make me CM,” he alleged.
The Delhi Deputy Chief Minister was not called in on Tuesday, but he could be called in again later, according to a CBI official.
“CBI will evaluate the answers given by (Delhi Dy CM) Manish Sisodia and if needed, he will be summoned again later. No summons to Sisodia for tomorrow,” a CBI official said on Monday.