Manish Sisodia skips ACB summons in corruption case linked to classroom construction

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia skipped the questioning by the Delhi government’s ACB in connection with a case of alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms in government schools that was to be held on Monday, official sources said.

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) had summoned AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and former PWD minister Satyendar Jain for questioning.

While Jain appeared before ACB on Friday, Sisodia was supposed to appear on Monday. Jain was questioned for over five hours by the ACB.

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“Manish Sisodia’s counsel informed us that he won’t be able to come today. He will be called again,” an ACB source said.

According to AAP sources, Sisodia had a pre-planned engagement and was not able to appear before the ACB. His lawyer has sent a reply to the ACB, party sources said.

The summons came after the ACB registered an FIR in the matter on April 30 based on allegations of financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of over 12,000 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in Delhi government schools.

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Baqrid: Jama Masjid sellers see slump, Okhla Mandi sees record sales

Baqrid: With Baqrid falling on June 7, goat markets across Delhi have been filled to the brim with great aplomb as sellers flock from across the ends of the National Capital Region (NCR) and  neighbouring states. From Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, sellers have been as keen as ever to find their way to Delhi in the hopes of selling their wares and, if not profiting, then just breaking even. In Delhi, there are multiple major goat markets, with the one at Jama Masjid being the oldest in the national capital. With a multitude of sellers, the market, also dubbed as ‘bakra mela’, attracts sellers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi as well. While the hype surrounding the festival has been sustained through time and generations, a seeming slump has been noted in the number of sales made by them. The sales this year have deteriorated compared to last year, sellers said.