Delhi Lt. Governor Saxena Order To Transfer 12 IAS Officer

Sisodia is on the list of 15 accused named in the CBI's FIR

Ahead of the CBI raids on Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's house over allegations of corruption in the liquor policy, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered the transfer of 12 IAS officers last evening.

According to the sources, the bureaucratic reshuffle came hours after Manish Sisodia, who also handles the Excise department, was raided by the CBI and named an accused in the First Information Report or FIR on liquor policy violations.

The Deputy Chief Minister is number one on a list of 15 accused named in the CBI's FIR. The offences listed in the 11-page document are corruption, criminal conspiracy and falsification of accounts.

There were almost 31 other locations besides the deputy CM's house that were searched by the CBI across seven states. After the 14-hour raid, Manish Sisodia said his computer and phone have been seized by the probe agency.

Under the policy launched in November, liquor shop licenses were handed over to private players. It was rolled back by Mr. Sisodia on July 30 after a probe was started initially by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing.

Taking notes from the CBI officials, they claimed that a liquor trader has paid Rs 1 crore to a company managed by an associate of Mr. Sisodia. The probe agency alleges that liquor companies and middlemen were "actively involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation" of the excise policy.

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had recommended the CBI probe last month after a report from the Chief Secretary alleging irregularities in the new liquor policy.

Lt. Governor Saxena has accused AAP of bringing the Excise policy "with the sole aim" of benefiting private liquor barons for financial benefits to "individuals at the highest echelons of the government leading up to Manish Sisodia".

Despite that, Mr. Sisodia denied any wrongdoing and said the BJP is misusing the central agencies for political purposes. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener has also firmly backed his deputy.