Along with Kejriwal and Sisodia, 21 others who were charged in the corruption case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), were also acquitted.
Rouse Avenue Court’s Special Judge Jitendra Singh declined to take cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet, observing that it contained “several lacunae” and was not supported by adequate evidence, as per news agency PTI.
The order effectively brings relief to the former chief minister and his deputy in the CBI case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
Court refuses to frame charges, raps CBI
The judge refused to frame charges against any of the 23 accused persons. The court held that no prima facie case was made out, while discharging all the accused in the matter.
The judge observed that Arvind Kejriwal had been implicated without any cogent material connecting him to the alleged offence.
Read more: ‘I’m not corrupt’: Kejriwal breaks down after acquittal in Delhi excise policy case | WatchÂ
It further noted that Manish Sisodia faced no prima facie case based on the material placed before the court.
What did the court say in Delhi excise policy case?
The court made scathing remarks against the CBI over what was described as a “faulty probe”. The court found that the “CBI implicated them without any material” and that the “CBI chargesheet has many lacunae, not supported by witness statements”.
It also stressed that a fair investigation is fundamental to ensuring a fair trial.
Counsel for Arvind Kejriwal, Advocate Vivek Jain said that framing of the excise policy was done through institutional safeguards. “There cannot be any doubt on the mannerism and the way the policy has been framed,” he said.
“The court has said that it meticulously went through all evidence produced by CBI and not a shred of allegation can be said to cross the threshold of charge. The court has discharged them, saying that there is no allegation which can be held to be true in this matter,” Jain added.
What is the Delhi excise policy?Â
The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was implemented to simplify liquor trade, bring transparency, check monopoly, generate optimum revenue as well as ensure better consumer experience. However, several shortcomings were found in the policy, as per a CAG report of 2024.
The CBI and ED alleged that AAP and its leaders were involved in corruption and received benefits from liquor makers due to manipulation in the policy.
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The alleged excise policy scam had been probed by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with the ED’s case reportedly stemming from the CBI’s FIR
Both Kejriwal and Sisodia had earlier been taken into custody and spent several months in jail during the course of the investigation.
The CBI will now likely approach the Delhi High Court, challenging the Rouse Avenue Court judgment, as per news agency ANI.
Who are the 23 accused persons acquitted in Delhi excise policy case?Â
The Rouse Avenue Court acquitted the following persons who were accused in the Delhi excise policy scam, as per Bar and Bench.
1. Arvind Kejriwal
2. Manish Sisodia
3. Abhishek Boinpally
4. Amandeep Singh Dhall
5. Amit Arora
6. Arjun Pandey
7. Arvind Kumar Singh
8. Arun Ramchandra Pillai
9. Ashish Chand Mathur
10. Butchibabu Gorantla
11. Chanpreet Singh Rayat
12. Damodar Prasad Sharma
13. Durgesh Pathak
14. Kavitha Kalvakuntal aka K Kavitha
15. Kuldeep Singh
16. Mootha Goutam
17. Narender Singh
18. Prince Kumar
19. Rajesh Joshi
20. Sameer Mahendru
21. Sarath Chandra Reddy
22. Vijay Nair
23. Vinod Chauhan
