The Rouse Avenue court on Friday discharged former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the corruption case related to the alleged liquor policy scam. The court also discharged former deputy Delhi CM Manish Sisodia. The Court, in strong words, rapped the CBI for lapses in investigation and said that the “voluminous chargesheet” has many lacunae not supported by any witness or statement. The Court said that the CBI failed to make out a prima facie case against Sisodia. The Judge added that Kejriwal was implicated without any cogent material. Notably, the court discharged all 23 accused persons in the matter.
The New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, which allowed private players in retail liquor sale, was scrapped by the then AAP government in July 2022 amid allegations of irregularities. In July 22, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the new policy, which culminated in raids on the premises of the Delhi Government’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and arrest of several AAP leaders.
Kejriwal broke down while speaking to reporters after being discharged in the case. He said, “I am not corrupt. The court has said that Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are honest.”
“Today, the court has discharged all accused in this case. We always said that the truth emerges victorious. We have full faith in the Indian legal system. Amit Shah and Modi ji together hatched the biggest political conspiracy to finish AAP, and 5 big leaders of the party were put in jail. The sitting CM was dragged out of his house and put in jail. Kejriwal is not corrupt. I have only earned honesty in my life. Today, the court has said that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are honest, ” he said.
Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Arvind Kejriwal, 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. The court has also said that the framing of the excise policy was done through institutional safeguards, and there cannot be any doubt on the mannerism and the way the policy has been framed.”
Meanwhile, the CBI will approach Delhi High Court, challenging the Rouse Avenue Court judgment discharging Kejriwal and Sisodia in the Delhi Excise policy case, reported ANI citing sources.
