Manish Sisodia quizzed by Anti-Corruption Branch in DCW case

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Friday questioned Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with its probe into an alleged recruitment scam in the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

Sisodia was summoned by the ACB on October 7 informing him about the questioning.

The deputy CM arrived around 11 am at the ACB office on Friday and his questioning continued for over two hours, said a senior ACB officer.

"In the documents that were probed by the ACB, it was found that there was a letter from the office of Sisodia that had authorised the DCW as a body with financial autonomy. According to rules, only the L-G can grant financial autonomy to a body. We will be questioning him on this aspect," sources had said.

The ACB has been probing the matter for the last few months and based on the questioning of Maliwal's staff, it was found that due procedure "was not followed in appointments" and an FIR under relevant section of Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC was registered against her.

Meanwhile, DCW chief Swati Maliwal termed the ACB's summoning of Sisodia as "political vendetta" and claimed that he had no role in the appointments made to the women's panel.

"ACB summoning @msisodia reeks of political vendetta. He has no role in DCW appointments. DCW was always autonomous," she tweeted.

"Sad. ACB pursuing false case against me, not taking action on my corruption complain against Shiela Dixit for past 3 weeks despite evidence (sic)," Maliwal said in another tweet.