The Central Bureau of Investigation has escalated the high-profile Delhi excise policy case to the Delhi High Court just hours after a trial court acquitted former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha, and 20 others. Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Jitendra Singh, at Rouse Avenue Court, had discharged all 23 accused, ruling that no prima facie case existed against them.
The court held that there was no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent behind the formulation of the excise policy framed by the Delhi government in 2021. “The prosecution case does not survive judicial scrutiny,” the judge observed, adding that the CBI had attempted to weave a conspiracy narrative largely based on conjecture rather than solid evidence.
Judicial Criticism of CBI Investigation
The special court sharply criticised the CBI for relying on approver statements to plug gaps in the investigation and implicate other individuals. “If such conduct is allowed, it would be a grave violation of the Constitutional principles,” the judge said. He also indicated that a departmental inquiry would be recommended against CBI officials for naming public servant Kuldeep Singh as accused number one.
The discharged accused include Kuldeep Singh, Narender Singh, Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Mootha Goutam, Sameer Mahendru, Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Arjun Pandey, Butchibabu Gorantla, Rajesh Joshi, Damodar Prasad Sharma, Prince Kumar, Arvind Kumar Singh, Chanpreet Singh Rayat, K Kavitha, Arvind Kejriwal, Durgesh Pathak, Amit Arora, Vinod Chauhan, Ashish Chand Mathur, and Sarath Chandra Reddy.
Origins of the Case
The case stems from allegations surrounding the now-withdrawn Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had filed a complaint claiming the policy was manipulated to benefit specific private liquor players through reduced licence fees and predetermined profit margins, resulting in kickbacks to political leaders and financial losses for the Delhi government.
The CBI registered a First Information Report in August 2022, alleging that a criminal conspiracy had been hatched during the policy’s formulation. The Enforcement Directorate later launched a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The investigation led to the arrests of several AAP leaders, with critics suggesting the moves were politically motivated. Kejriwal and Sisodia spent considerable time in custody before the Supreme Court granted them relief.
The trial court’s discharge has paused the CBI case at the threshold, citing inadequate evidence to proceed to trial. The High Court will now decide whether the acquittal should stand or whether the charges merit further judicial scrutiny, keeping the political and legal spotlight firmly on the Delhi excise policy controversy.
