The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Friday, February 27, discharged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, former Telangana MLC K. Kavitha, and several others in the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh ordered the discharge of all 23 accused persons in the case. This means the court found that there was not enough evidence to continue the trial against them.
While delivering the order, the court strongly criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for mistakes in its investigation. The judge said that although the chargesheet was very detailed and lengthy, it contained many gaps and lacked proper support from witnesses or clear statements.
The court also ruled that there was no overall conspiracy or criminal intention behind the excise policy. According to the judge, the investigation failed to clearly prove that the accused had acted with wrongful intent.
In addition, the court questioned the use of the term “South Group” in the chargesheet, suggesting that it was not properly defined or supported by solid evidence.
The case had drawn national attention as it involved senior political leaders and allegations of corruption in the framing and implementation of Delhi’s excise policy. With this ruling, all the accused in the case have been relieved from the charges at this stage.