{"id":9494,"date":"2026-03-01T07:12:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=9494"},"modified":"2026-03-01T07:12:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T07:12:41","slug":"rouse-avenue-court-discharges-arvind-kejriwal-manish-sisodia-in-excise-policy-case-cbi-to-move-hc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=9494","title":{"rendered":"Rouse Avenue Court Discharges Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia in Excise Policy Case; CBI to Move HC."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Rouse Avenue Court Discharges Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia in Excise Policy Case; CBI to Move HC.<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

New Delhi:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In a significant development in the Delhi excise policy case, a special court on Friday discharged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia, former MP K. Kavitha, and 21 others, bringing the Central Bureau of Investigation\u2019s prosecution to a close at the trial court level.<\/p>\n

Special Judge Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court, in a detailed 598-page order, held that the case was built largely on hearsay evidence and suffered from serious procedural lapses. The court observed that there was no substantive material to justify framing charges against the accused and described the probe as a \u201cpremeditated and choreographed exercise\u201d in which roles appeared to have been retrospectively assigned to fit a preconceived narrative.<\/p>\n

Court Flags Procedural Lapses<\/h3>\n

The judge expressed concern over what he termed a \u201ccomplete disregard\u201d by the investigating officer for the constitutional protections available to public servants discharging official duties. The court noted that the prosecution relied heavily on statements attributed to an approver, which were found to be inadmissible hearsay in the absence of corroborating evidence.<\/p>\n

In a stern observation, the court ordered a departmental inquiry against the \u201cerring investigating officer\u201d for framing the accused without adequate material evidence.<\/p>\n

CBI to Appeal<\/h3>\n

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had registered the initial FIR based on a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena, announced that it would immediately challenge the order before the Delhi High Court. The agency said several aspects of its investigation had not been adequately considered by the trial court.<\/p>\n

The case pertained to alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of Delhi\u2019s 2020 excise policy. In its chargesheet running into thousands of pages, the CBI had alleged that modifications to the policy resulted in undue favours to certain licence holders, waiver or reduction of licence fees, and extension of L-1 licences without proper approval. It further claimed that illegal gains were diverted to public officials and false accounting entries were made to conceal the transactions.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) initiated parallel proceedings under money laundering laws.<\/p>\n

Political Reactions<\/h3>\n

Welcoming the verdict, Kejriwal termed it a \u201cvictory of truth\u201d and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating what he described as the \u201cbiggest political conspiracy in Independent India.\u201d He said it was unprecedented that a sitting Chief Minister had been jailed for months in what he called a false case.<\/p>\n

Visibly emotional, Kejriwal asserted that the court\u2019s findings vindicated both him and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He also challenged the BJP to face fresh elections in Delhi, saying he would quit politics if the party won even 10 seats.<\/p>\n

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, however, said the electorate had already delivered its verdict in the February 2025 Assembly elections, when AAP lost its majority after a decade in power. She maintained that the discharge resulted from lack of evidence and alleged that crucial evidence had been destroyed during the course of the case.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h3>\n

Kejriwal had spent five months in jail in connection with the case, while Sisodia was incarcerated for 17 months before both were granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2024, months ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.<\/p>\n

With the CBI set to approach the High Court, the legal battle over the excise policy case is likely to continue, even as the trial court\u2019s order marks a major political and legal setback for the investigating agencies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rouse Avenue Court Discharges Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia in Excise Policy Case; CBI to Move HC.   New Delhi:   In a significant development in […]<\/p>\n

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