Nothing found in raids because Sisodia didn't do anything, says Kejriwal

CM Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said hundreds of raids by central agencies to find evidence against his deputy Manish Sisodia have yielded nothing as he didn't do anything.

As the ED launched fresh searches in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said hundreds of raids by central agencies to find evidence against his deputy Manish Sisodia have yielded nothing as he didn't do anything.

Time of hundreds of sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is being wasted for "dirty politics", he said.

The ED launched raids at about 35 locations in Delhi, Punjab and Hyderabad earlier in the day in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is an accused in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

"Over 500 raids, more than 300 officials have been working round the clock for three months to find evidence against Manish Sisodia. Nothing has been found because he has not done anything," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Time of so many officers is being wasted for one's dirty politics. How will the country progress like this," he asked.

The ED's case stems from the CBI FIR. The ED has conducted more than 103 raids in this case so far.

The excise policy came under the scanner after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into it. He had also suspended 11 excise officials.

The ED has questioned AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak and minister Satyendar Jain, lodged in Tihar Jail, in this case.