Manish Sisodia was raided in August and was also questioned by the CBI. (File)
Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was not named in the CBI's first chargesheet in the liquor policy case, filed today. Mr Sisodia and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said this meant he had been cleared of "false charges" by the probe agency.
The chargesheet named seven accused, including AAP's communications chief and Mr Sisodia's close aide Vijay Nair and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally. Investigations continue into the role of Manish Sisodia, who was listed as "Accused No 1" in the CBI's First Information Report (FIR) filed in August, said agency sources.
"The BJP made up the story of a liquor scam and raided my home. It is clear from the CBI chargesheet that Manish Sisodia was falsely defamed. BJP made false report against Delhi government through Lieutenant Governor Vinai Saxena. CBI has given a clean chit to Manish Sisodia, the Lt Governor must resign," Mr Sisodia told reporters.
The AAP said the CBI chargesheet was proof that Mr Sisodia is innocent and is being framed.
"It proves that all the allegations were an attempt to target our leaders ahead of the Delhi civic polls and the Gujarat election. The BJP should apologise to the nation," said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj.
"It's possibly the first time in history that the 'Accused No. 1' is not even on the chargesheet. There can be no bigger vindication than this," he said.
The CBI is investigating allegations of serious violations in the AAP government's new liquor policy for Delhi, withdrawn within six months, in which liquor shop licenses were given to private players. The Enforcement Directorate also filed a money-laundering case.
Mr Sisodia, who oversaw the liquor policy, was raided in August and he was also questioned by the CBI. He has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
The AAP has accused the ruling BJP at the centre of using probe agencies to target its leaders ahead of the Delhi civic polls and the Gujarat election. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that the centre plans to arrest Mr Sisodia as it resents his deputy's success in the field of education.