Delhi liquor policy case: Sisodia aide may turn approver, be govt witness

A Delhi court is expected to rule on November 14 on a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation to allow businessman Dinesh Arora - deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's aide - to turn approver - become a government witness - in the excise policy case.

Sisodia is an accused in this case and was last month questioned by the agency at its office in the national capital.

On Monday, while hearing CBI's plea, Special Judge MK Nagpal said that he would first record Arora's disclosure statement, before pronouncing order on the plea to make Arora an approver in the case.

Earlier in the day, Arora took an oath that he would truthfully and voluntarily give information about his involvement. "I have cooperated during the investigation of the case... have also made certain statements before the investigatin officer in this regard," he said.

The court has already granted Arora - also an accused - anticipatory bail after the CBI declined to contest his plea. The CBI has said Arora co-operated fully and disclosed vital facts.

Last month, after he was questioned for about nine hours, Sisodia refused all allegations and accused the BJP of rigging charges in its attempt to topple the AAP government in Delhi.

"... there is no issue of any scam... the whole case is fake. The case isn't to probe any scam against me but to make Operation Lotus successful in Delhi," he said.

The CBI refuted the allegations and said Sisodia was questioned in a professional manner. An agency spokesperson told news agency PTI Sisodia's statement would be verified.

The excise, or liquor, policy case refers to the row over the Aam Aadmi Party government's new rules for selling alcohol in the national capital. The policy had been red-flagged by lieutenant governor VK Saxena over alleged corruption and a CBI probe was recommended.

Sisodia - in charge of the Delhi government's excise department - was named as the primary accused in a first information report (FIR) filed in August amid claims of deliberate procedural lapses that provided undue benefits to some in the tender for liquor licenses in 2021-22.

The AAP has slammed the case against Sisodia as fake, with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal declaring the BJP had rigged them up to block the AAP from gaining ground in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat (which vote this week and next month, respectively).