The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a fresh corruption case against Manish Sisodia, the former deputy chief minister of Delhi, in connection with allegations that a special feedback unit (FBU) created by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in 2015 illegally spied on political rivals and government officials. Sisodia has been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act and named as the main accused in the FIR, which was filed on March 14.
The FIR also named Sukesh Kumar Jain, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who worked as the secretary vigilance in the Delhi government at that time, Rakesh Kumar Sinha, a retired deputy inspector general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) who was a special advisor to the chief minister and joint director of the feedback unit, Pradeep Kumar Punj, a retired joint director of the Intelligence Bureau who worked as the deputy director in FBU, Satish Khetrapal, a former assistant commandant of CISF who worked as the feedback officer, and Gopal Mohan, the then advisor (anti-corruption) to CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The controversy dates back to 2015 when the AAP government won its first full term in Delhi. After taking charge, the state government moved to set up a feedback unit in September 2015 to gather actionable feedback on various departments and autonomous bodies, institutions, and entities falling under its jurisdiction, and also to investigate corruption cases. According to CBI, no cabinet note was moved for the proposal, and no sanction was taken from the Lieutenant Governor (LG) at the time.
The unit started functioning on February 1, 2016, with a provision of ₹1 crore, according to CBI. FBU probed 700 cases in the eight months of its existence, of which 60% were related to vigilance and graft, and 40% related to generating political intelligence and snooping. The unit was formed under the directorate of vigilance, and Sisodia is the minister-in-charge of vigilance.
The FIR was filed weeks after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), acting on the recommendation of the LG VK Saxena, recently allowed CBI to investigate Sisodia, causing a sharp reaction from the AAP. Sisodia is currently lodged in Tihar jail after CBI arrested him on February 26 in connection with the Delhi excise policy related irregularities, in which AAP leaders were allegedly given ₹100 crore kickbacks for favouring a set of liquor businessmen and politicians to enter Delhi’s liquor business.
People familiar with the development said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also expected to register a money laundering case in the Feedback Unit. The ED investigates cases of money laundering and foreign exchange violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The CBI has been conducting an investigation into the FBU case for a few years, and its officials have been collecting evidence against Sisodia and others involved in the matter.
Sisodia has denied the allegations against him and accused the central government of using the CBI to target political opponents. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha also criticized the CBI’s actions and accused the agency of carrying out political vendettas. The party has also claimed that the FBU was set up to prevent corruption and to ensure transparency in government processes. However, the CBI claims that the unit was used to snoop on political opponents and government officials, and the case is likely to be probed further in the coming weeks.
