Delhi feedback unit gathered political intelligence, CBI says as it seeks FIR against Manish Sisodia
The unit was not functioning in the interest of the Delhi government, but for the private interest of the Aam Aadmi Party, the agency alleged.
A feedback unit set up by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi in 2015 collected “political intelligence”, the Central Bureau of Investigation found in a preliminary inquiry, The Times of India reported on Wednesday.
The central agency demanded that a first information report be filed under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and senior officials.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the feedback unit was set up to strengthen the vigilance department. However, it was misused for a purpose other than the one for which it was said to have been created, the agency claimed.
The Central Bureau of Investigation said that 60% of the reports generated by the feedback unit pertained to matters related to the vigilance department, while 40% were about “political intelligence”.
It alleged in the preliminary report that a substantial number of reports submitted by the feedback unit pertained not to actionable information on corruption in the Delhi government, but to “political activities of persons, political entities and political issues touching political interest of Aam Aadmi Party, BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party]”.
The agency claimed that the unit was not functioning in the interest of the Delhi government, but for the private interest of the Aam Aadmi Party and Sisodia.
“Use of FBU to this extent for the purpose of gathering political intelligence for AAP or for convenor Arvind Kejriwal can reasonably be interpreted to mean and constitute the obtaining of valuable thing or pecuniary advantage, as gathering this information otherwise would necessarily have entailed spending money,” it alleged.
The Central Bureau of Investigation also claimed that no formal action was taken against any public servant or department based on reports by the unit.
The central agency has also booked Sisodia, along with 14 other persons, in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in a now-withdrawn liquor policy. However, it did not include his name in the first chargesheet in the case in November.