Delhi Court Discharges Kejriwal, Sisodia in Excise Policy Case; CBI to Appeal
A Delhi court on Friday discharged former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the alleged excise policy corruption case, ruling that the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case could not withstand judicial scrutiny. Special Judge Jitendra Singh said the material on record did not disclose even a prima facie case or grave suspicion against the accused, effectively closing the trial court proceedings. The CBI, which had alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped 2021 excise policy, announced it would immediately challenge the order in the Delhi High Court.
Reacting to the verdict, a visibly emotional Kejriwal declared that the ruling proved he, Sisodia, and the Aam Aadmi Party were “kattar imaandar” (honest), while alleging a political conspiracy orchestrated by the Centre to destroy the party. Opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party welcomed the decision, calling it evidence of misuse of investigative agencies, whereas the BJP described the discharge as a “technical matter” and said the electorate had already delivered its political verdict in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. Congress leaders questioned the timing of the decision, linking it to upcoming state polls.
The case had dominated national politics since 2022, leading to arrests by central agencies and the eventual scrapping of the policy. Kejriwal spent six months in jail, while Sisodia was incarcerated for nearly two years. The AAP government lost power in Delhi in February 2025 amid corruption allegations, with Kejriwal also losing his seat. With elections due in Punjab, Goa, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh over the next two years, the court’s decision is expected to have significant political ramifications as parties recalibrate their strategies ahead of crucial contests.
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