'Going away for 7-8 months': Manish Sisodia reaches CBI office for questioning in Delhi liquor policy case

Sisodia left his home for the CBI's headquarters in central Delhi's Lodhi Road before 10 am.

He visited Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Delhi's Rajghat before visiting the CBI office and then delivered a speech.

Many Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders said they have been put under house arrest because the CBI will arrest Manish Sisodia.

"I will be in jail for 7-8 months. Don't feel sorry for me, be proud. PM [Narendra] Modi is afraid of Arvind Kejriwal, so he wants to frame me in a fake case. You should fight on. My wife, who has stood by me from Day 1, is unwell and alone at home. Take care of her. And I want to tell children of Delhi, study hard and listen to your parents," Sisodia told supporters.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "God is with you, Manish. The blessings of lakhs of children and their parents are with you. When you go to jail for the country and society, it is not a curse, it is a glory. I pray to God that you return from jail soon. Children, parents and all of us in Delhi will be waiting for you."

AAP leaders, meanwhile, alleged that they have been put under house arrest and the police have been posted in large numbers to arrest Sisodia after the questioning.

"Going to CBI again today, will cooperate fully in the entire investigation. The love of lakhs of children and the blessings of crores of countrymen are with us. I don't care if I have to stay in jail for a few months. I am a follower of Bhagat Singh who was hanged for the country," Sisodia tweeted.

The CBI had previously called Sisodia for questioning on Feb 19, when the AAP leader, who is also Delhi's Finance Minister, sought a week's time for making Delhi Budget. The CBI agreed to his request.

Sisodia and others face corruption charges over the new liquor sale policy in the national capital.

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered the CBI probe last year.

Following this, the Delhi government reverted to the old liquor policy and blamed the Lieutenant Governor for the loss of revenue worth crores of rupees that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government claimed would have come if the new policy had continued.

The probe agency is investigating the Delhi Excise Policy which has handed over liquor shop licences to private players.

It had earlier raided Sisodia's residence for over 12 hours and 20 other locations across seven states.

The CBI alleges that liquor companies and middlemen were "actively involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation" of the excise policy.

The agency also claims "close associates of  Sisodia - Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey - collected "commission" from liquor licensees and delivered them to "the accused public servants".