Delhi court acquits Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia in liquor policy corruption case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday acquitted Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the high-profile liquor policy corruption case, stating that there was no solid evidence against them. The judgment reinforces allegations that the CBI acted under political pressure.

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi acquitted all 23 accused in the case and ordered a departmental inquiry against the investigating officer.

The Aam Aadmi Party rose in Indian politics as a symbol of clean governance, positioning itself against corruption and violence. It went on to form the government in Delhi and later expanded its influence by coming to power in Punjab. However, more than a decade later, the party encountered serious corruption allegations and experienced a significant political setback in Delhi.

In the related case, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was named as the 18th accused, while Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was listed as the 8th accused. K. Kavitha, president of the Telangana Jagruthi Party, was also acquitted. Following the court’s verdict, Kejriwal broke down in the courtroom, and Sisodia was seen consoling him.

The CBI had claimed in its charge sheet that the new liquor policy involved corruption worth Rs 100 crore and caused a loss of Rs 580 crore to the public treasury. However, the court found no evidence, including proof of conspiracy. The court noted that the CBI’s conspiracy theory was based on assumptions, and no financial documents were presented to prove any monetary gain.

The court also ruled that including constitutional officeholders as accused without proper evidence violated legal principles. Simply approving a policy does not constitute a criminal offence. Special Judge Jitendra Singh clarified that there was no material to proceed with a trial, and therefore, all the accused were acquitted.

The CBI has said it will file an appeal against the verdict in the Delhi High Court. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case related to the liquor policy remains under consideration by another court at Rouse Avenue.

Where is bribe money?
The court stated that the CBI has not seized a single rupee. There are inconsistencies in their claims about a conspiracy. The request to rely solely on the statement of approver, Hyderabad businessman P. Sharatchandra Reddy, cannot be accepted. The CBI tried to convert an accused from the charge sheet into an approver to cover up investigative lapses. Allowing this would be a serious violation of constitutional principles.

CBI's lapse

1. No solid evidence or strong witness testimony existed against the accused.
2. The chargesheet contained contradictions and misleading information.
3. The CBI named Delhi government officials, including Kuldeep Singh, as prime accused without evidence.

We are not corrupt. God is with us. Modi and Amit Shah conspired to falsely accuse us.
- Arvind Kejriwal

The judiciary has broken the trap of false narratives.
-K. Kavitha

Jail time served
Arvind Kejriwal- 156 days
Manish Sisodia- 530 days