Centre Approves Prosecution of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia for Alleged Snooping on Rivals

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs gave permission to prosecute Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the Feedback Unit (FBU) snooping case.

Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) had requested for the sanction to prosecute the Deputy CM of Delhi to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The Lieutenant Governor had forwarded it to the MHA for approval.

The CBI had urged for permission to register an FIR against Sisodia, who heads the Vigilance department of the Delhi government. The Feedback Unit was created under the Vigilance department in 2015 after the AAP came to power in Delhi.

Later a CBI report claimed that the FBU was involved in political snooping. The central agency said AAP proposed to set up the FBU to gather relevant information and feedback regarding the working of the various departments and autonomous bodies and institutions falling under the jurisdiction of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

The unit started functioning in 2016 with a provision of Rs 1 crore for secret service expenditure.  It alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal moved the proposal in a Cabinet meeting in 2015, but no agenda note was circulated. No sanction from the L-G was taken for appointments to the FBU, claimed the CBI.