New Delhi’s legal corridors are buzzing as the Delhi High Court schedules a crucial hearing on March 9 regarding the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) challenge to the acquittal of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the high-profile 2022 Delhi Excise Policy case.
The single-judge bench of Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma will take up the CBI’s criminal revision petition, which contests the Rouse Avenue Court’s detailed order dismissing charges against all 23 accused. That lower court ruling, spanning over 1,100 paragraphs, deemed the prosecution’s case ‘utterly failed’ in judicial scrutiny and ‘completely baseless.’
After meticulously reviewing extensive records and statements from nearly 300 prosecution witnesses, the trial court found no evidence creating ‘serious doubt’ against the accused. It emphasized that forcing them into a full trial without legally valid evidence would be a ‘gross miscarriage of justice’ and an abuse of criminal procedure.
The case revolves around the AAP-led government’s now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi Excise Policy, accused by CBI of favoring select private liquor firms in exchange for advance kickbacks funneled into electoral funds, including those linked to the ‘South Group.’ CBI alleged irregularities in policy formulation and implementation caused undue benefits to licensees and losses to the state exchequer.
However, the lower court rejected the agency’s ‘broad conspiracy theory,’ noting records showed the policy was crafted through due consultation and deliberation per established procedures.
Kejriwal hailed the acquittal as vindication of a ‘false and fabricated’ case, proclaiming ‘Satyamev Jayate’ and faith in the judiciary. Sisodia, greeted by cheering AAP supporters outside court, appeared emotional amid the celebrations.
Delhi BJP MP and former state president Manoj Tiwari cautioned that AAP’s jubilation might be short-lived. Addressing a press conference, he predicted the High Court could overturn the lower court’s decision. Tiwari questioned the policy’s withdrawal if it was truly legal and alleged destruction of multiple SIM cards and phones to cover tracks.
As the March 9 hearing approaches, all eyes are on whether the High Court will reinstate charges, potentially prolonging this saga that has gripped Delhi’s political landscape for years. The outcome could reshape AAP’s fortunes ahead of upcoming elections.