On Friday, a court in Delhi ruled that there are no charges against former Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 other individuals accused in the Delhi excise policy scandal. The decision condemned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and cast doubt at the way the case was conducted.
Special Judge Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court held that no conspiracy or criminal intent went into the excise policy and that the case brought before the prosecution was mere guesswork. There were no charges the judge made against the 23 accused.
The judge was clear. He claimed that the investigation of the CBI was very problematic. The indictment was very long and had numerous holes and failed to correspond with the accounts given by witnesses. A large portion of it was deceptive and unsubstantiated.
On Kejriwal in particular, the court ruled that there was no concrete evidence that he had done it. According to the judge, it is incorrect to accuse a person in a constitutional position without sufficient evidence, which is against the rule of law.
Sisodia 530 Days in Jail For Nothing
The longest serving jailer, Manish Sisodia, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 and by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9, 2023. It took him 530 days in jail when the Supreme Court released him on bail in August 2024.
The court did not get anything to demonstrate that Sisodia was involved in the creation or execution of the excise policy. He did not spend any money on the government. According to the judge, the CBI was not even in a position to construct a simple case against him.
The court as well directed a departmental inquiry of the work of CBI officer due to errors committed in the course of investigation. This is a big warning that demonstrates that the judge is concerned not only with this particular case.
Kejriwal Melts Down: ‘Truth Has Triumphed’
Kejriwal was also emotional in talking to reporters outside the court. He added that the court had dismissed any form of charges leveled against him and his party. He said the truth wins. He alleged that BJP had plotted against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and had arrested the 5 top leaders of the party.
“For the past few years, the way BJP has been accusing us in the Delhi excise policy case, today the court has rejected all the allegations levelled against us. We have always said that the truth wins. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah conspired against AAP and arrested the party’s five biggest leaders. They wanted to finish AAP. A sitting chief minister was arrested. This had never happened in India,” he said, as reported by PTI.
He continued: “We were accused and called corrupt in every channel. Kejriwal is not corrupt. I have only earned honesty. The court has said today that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are honest. Court order proves Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party are kattar imaandar [dead honest].”
Before being granted bail by the Supreme Court on September 13, 2024, Kejriwal had spent 56 days in custody.
The government of Delhi adopted a new excise policy in 2021. It assured an increase in revenue and increase in participation of the private in the sale of liquor. The policy was subsequently revoked following complaints by individuals that it had irregularities. The CBI was then investigating on the request of Lt. Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena.
The ED and the CBI reported that the policy was established to assist a group of private consumers known as the South Group. According to them, AAP leadership received kickbacks, and the people money was lost. All the accused have refuted these claims.
Complete List of the Discharged
Other names that were exonerated with Kejriwal and Sisodia included Kuldeep Singh, Narender Singh, Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Pillai, Mootha Gautam, Sameer Mahendru, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Arjun Pandey, Butchibabu Gorantla, Rajesh Joshi, Damodar Prasad Sharma, Prince Kumar, Arvind Kumar Singh, Chanpreet Singh, K. Kavitha, Durgesh Pathak
What Happens Next?
The CBI will probably petition in the High Court of the discharge order. This implies that the battle against the law might not be over despite the decision in the court Friday. This ruling is a milestone to the AAP. Arrests and trials that took three years, five top leaders in the jail, a chief minister in jail all overturned by a court that discovered the evidence as unconvincing. Whether this will be the end of the case or the case will be taken to a superior court is yet to be determined.