Excise Policy Case: Sisodia Admitted He Destroyed 2 Phones with 'Incriminating' Evidence, Says CBI

The CBI chargesheet in the excise policy case, submitted to Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, said former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia admitted that he destroyed two mobile phones containing “incriminating” evidence.

According to the chargesheet, the investigation revealed that from January 1, 2020 to August 19, 2022, Sisodia used three handsets of which two were used before July 22, 2022, and were confirmed destroyed by him. The response to a notice in this regard was recorded under Section 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The CBI stated in its chargesheet that these handsets were “wilfully disposed of and contained incriminating evidence related to the (excise) policy”. This was another “incriminating circumstance” against Sisodia, it said.

The court took cognizance of the chargesheet against Sisodia, to which CNN-News18 got full access.

Here is all you need to know:

• Manish Sisodia admitted that he destroyed two mobile phones. The CBI said the handsets were “wilfully disposed of and contained incriminating evidence related to the (excise) policy”. This was another “incriminating circumstance” against Sisodia, it said.
• The chargesheet stated that Sisodia was the “main architect” of the GoM (group of ministers) report.
• The CBI said in pursuance of criminal conspiracy, “undue benefits” were given to private wholesalers through high profit margins.
• The CBI further said Sisodia had “ulterior motive” in that distributors would give him undue advantage in exchange for favourable provisions. “In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, private wholesalers were given undue benefit in the form of very high profit margin (increased from 5% to 12%) and a long rope for arm twisting manufacturers for getting undue rebates/incentives by the accused Manish Sisodia with the ulterior motive that these distributors will give undue advantage to him or his close associate and representative Vijay Nair, in lieu of such favourable provisions,” the agency said.
• The chargesheet further stated that Sisodia manipulated the process of taking comments from the public.
• It stated that he fabricated emails from the minorities commission chairperson.
• The chargesheet also mentions the criminal conspiracy established by the visit of the ‘South Group’ members to Delhi and of Nair’s to Hyderabad. It said, “Criminal conspiracy with respect to incorporating favourable provisions in the new excise policy is further established by the visit of the accused Vijay Nair to Hyderabad.”
• The ‘South Group’ members travelled to Delhi to hold a meeting to conspire, the CBI said. “During this period, on 20.05.2021 and 21.05.2021, the accused persons of ‘South Group’ – Abhishek Boinpally, Arun R Pillai, Butchibabu Gorantla and Sharath Reddy – had travelled to New Delhi on a chartered flight and held a meeting at Gaur Apartment near Claridges Hotel in New Delhi on 21.05.2021 with the accused Vijay Nair, along with the other accused persons – Amandeep Singh Dhall and Arjun Pandey – where the criminal conspiracy was hatched regarding modalities for obtaining pecuniary advantage in return of undue favour caused in the excise policy,” it said.
• The CBI also said several provisions suggested by the ‘South Group’ members were added as it is in the GoM report. WhatsApp chats have revealed that provisions for a new designation of ‘director wholesale operations’ and a provision for having ‘joint venture’ for running ‘elite stores/super premium’ stores were reproduced as it is in the final GoM report dated March 22, 2022, when they were not even mentioned in the draft policy, it added.