Breaking: Delhi Court Discharges Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and All Other Accused in Liquor Policy Case; Slams CBI for Lapses
From the Editor's Desk
A Delhi court on Friday dropped the corruption proceedings against former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal in the case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. Special Judge Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts also cleared senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, discharging every one of the 23 accused named in the matter.
In a sharply worded order, the court criticised the CBI’s investigation, observing that its “voluminous chargesheet” contained significant gaps and assertions that were not borne out by witness accounts or statements. The judge held that the agency had not established even a prima facie case against Sisodia, and said Kejriwal had been roped in without any solid supporting material.
The court noted that the chargesheet—running into thousands of pages—relied on material that did not align with what witnesses had actually stated. It also flagged internal inconsistencies that, in the judge’s view, undermined the prosecution’s central conspiracy narrative.
While granting relief to Kuldeep Singh, described as the main accused, the judge expressed surprise that he had been made the first accused despite there being “absolutely no material” against him. On Sisodia, who was accused of driving the framing and rollout of the liquor policy, the court said there was no evidence indicating his involvement and no recovery to support the allegation.
Turning to Kejriwal, the judge held that he was implicated without any cogent basis—an approach the court said was incompatible with the rule of law, particularly given that the allegation concerned a person holding a constitutional position. The order added that without foundational material, statements, or evidence, attributing Kejriwal’s role in the alleged conspiracy could not stand.
The court also directed that a departmental inquiry be initiated against the CBI’s investigating officer. Sisodia, for context, spent about 530 days in custody. Kejriwal was incarcerated for roughly 156 days across two stints, and was released on September 13, 2024 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the CBI case; he had already obtained interim bail in the ED matter.
Senior Advocate Rebecca M John, assisted by Advocate Vivek Jain, represented Sisodia. Kejriwal was represented by Senior Advocate N Hariharan along with Advocate Mudit Jain.
The case traces back to Delhi’s 2021 excise policy, introduced by the Delhi government to raise revenue and overhaul the liquor trade, but later withdrawn following allegations of irregularities. Lieutenant-Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena subsequently ordered a CBI probe. Investigators from the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have alleged the policy’s design and execution benefited private entities at public expense and involved corruption.
Sisodia was first arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, and later by the ED on March 9, 2023. The CBI’s FIR accused him and others of shaping and taking decisions on the 2021–22 excise policy “without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender”. The agency also said he was taken into custody after giving evasive replies and not cooperating despite being confronted with evidence.
Kejriwal was formally arrested by the CBI on June 26, 2024, while he was already in ED custody in a money-laundering case connected to the same alleged policy scam.
