Delhi court discharges Kejriwal, Sisodia in CBI excise policy case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday discharged Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others in the CBI corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Special Judge Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court, while pronouncing the order, remarked, “Kabhi kabhi jab file bahaut zyaada padte ho, toh aapse baat karne lagti hai file,” indicating the court’s detailed scrutiny of the records.

In his order, the judge said the prosecution’s case did not withstand judicial examination.

“The prosecution case doesn’t stand scrutiny. The record reflects continuity and consultation. There is no abrupt interruption to constitute criminal intent. The overarching conspiracy theory fails here,” he observed.

The court further noted internal contradictions in the prosecution’s arguments and said allegations of manipulation could not be sustained.

According to the order, the excise policy had moved through established constitutional channels and the available material pointed to institutional deliberation rather than criminality.

The judge also flagged gaps in the investigation, noting that confessional statements of the star witness were not included in the chargesheet.

Calling attention to deficiencies in the chargesheet, the court said it was marked by several lacunae. The judge concluded the order by quoting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The case originated from a July 2022 report by then Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, which alleged procedural irregularities in the formulation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22.

The report had claimed that decisions taken by Sisodia as excise minister caused an estimated loss of over Rs 580 crore to the exchequer and alleged that kickbacks from liquor businesses were used to influence Assembly elections in Punjab and Goa in early 2022. The policy, implemented in November 2021, was later withdrawn in July 2022.

Two parallel cases were registered in connection with the policy — a corruption probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). While the CBI case has now resulted in discharge, proceedings in the ED matter are still pending.

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