Agency says key aspects of probe were ignored by trial court
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to approach the Delhi high court to challenge a trial court order that discharged all 23 accused, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the excise policy case. The agency said several aspects of its investigation were either overlooked or not adequately considered by the trial court.
On Friday, a Delhi court acquitted 23 accused persons, among them former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, in connection with the CBI case registered in 2022. The case alleged conspiracy and corruption in the formulation of the Delhi government’s liquor policy.
The order was passed by special judge Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court. The judge orally observed that there was no material on record to substantiate the prosecution’s allegations against the accused.
The court noted that the prosecution’s case contained multiple internal contradictions that struck at the core of the alleged conspiracy. It said the case did not withstand judicial scrutiny and found no evidence of any overarching conspiracy or criminal intent in the excise policy.
In response, the CBI said it would immediately file an appeal in the Delhi high court, arguing that important aspects of its probe had not been properly examined by the trial court.
In a setback to the agency, the court also indicated that it would seek a departmental inquiry against certain CBI officials for naming public servant Kuldeep Singh as accused number one in the case. The court criticised the investigation method, particularly the reliance on granting pardons to suspects and turning them into approvers.
The case, popularly known as the Delhi liquor policy case, had posed significant political challenges for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership when it was in power in the national capital.
The judge further remarked that the chargesheet contained misleading projections and several lacunae that failed to support the evidence presented.
The matter traces back to the excise policy introduced by the AAP government in 2021–22, which was projected as a revenue-enhancing reform compared to the previous system. The Delhi government later withdrew the policy.
A detailed written order from the court is awaited.
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