Kejriwal, Sisodia Discharged in CBI Liquor Scam Case: Court Slams Probe

Top Summary

• What happened: A Delhi court discharged Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the CBI's liquor policy scam case due to insufficient evidence.
• Why it matters: The ruling is a significant win for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a blow to the CBI's investigation.
• What changes for people: The discharged individuals are cleared of charges in this particular CBI case, although a separate money laundering probe continues.
• Who is affected: Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, the other 21 accused, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Central Bureau of Investigation are all directly affected.

Court Discharges Accused, Criticizes CBI

A Delhi court discharged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia, and 21 others on Friday in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case concerning the alleged liquor policy scam.

The court's decision indicates that there wasn't enough evidence presented to warrant a full trial.

The ruling is viewed as a significant boost for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose leaders have been implicated in the case.

Lack of Evidence and Procedural Lapses

The court’s 598-page ruling cited multiple weaknesses in the CBI's case, including the nature and presentation of evidence.

The prosecution alleged the excise policy was manipulated to benefit a group known as the "South Group."

However, the court found no evidence to support this claim, stating that the policy development involved consultation and deliberation.

Bribery Allegations Dismissed

The CBI alleged a ₹100-crore bribe was paid by the South Group.

The court dismissed this as speculative, noting the allegation relied heavily on an approver's statement lacking independent corroboration.

The court also noted inconsistencies in the approver's statements.

Hawala Transactions and Campaign Funding

The court found contradictions in the CBI’s allegations of hawala transactions regarding dates, amounts, and instances.

The allegation that bribe money was used for the AAP’s Goa election campaign in 2022 was also dismissed. The court stated campaign funding inquiries are the Election Commission of India's domain.

According to the court, the Prevention of Corruption Act should not be used to transform political accusations into prosecutable offenses.

Evidentiary and Procedural Failures Highlighted

The court criticized the CBI for relying on "fragmented circumstances" and asking the court to "join the dots" through "presumption."

Reliance on uncorroborated statements from approvers was also heavily criticized. The court noted approver statements cannot substitute foundational facts.

The court further noted that allegations of bribery by vendors only emerged later in statements recorded by the probe agency.

Angadia Firms and Financial Trails

“Pauti” entries from Angadia firms, used to trace the alleged money trail, were deemed inadmissible.

These entries were loose, pencil-written sheets and not part of regularly maintained accounts. The court said that the CBI did not provide documents to directly link the political leadership to cash transfers.

Criticism of CBI Investigation

The court described the CBI's investigation as a "pre-meditated and choreographed exercise" with retrospectively assigned roles.

 

What emerges instead is a troubling picture of an investigation steered by a preconceived outcome rather than by objective evaluation of evidence,

the court stated.

 

The court recommended departmental proceedings against the investigating officer for wrongly accusing Kuldeep Singh, a former excise official (A-1 in the case).

What to Watch Next

While Kejriwal, Sisodia, and the others have been discharged in this specific CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering case related to the same alleged scam is still ongoing, so further legal battles are expected. The observations made by the court about the CBI's investigation could also lead to internal reviews and reforms within the agency.