New Delhi, February 27 – In a setback to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Delhi court on Friday refused to frame charges against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and others in the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.
Allowing the plea for discharge, the Rouse Avenue Court held that no sufficient evidence had emerged during the investigation to proceed against the accused and that no criminal offense, including criminal conspiracy, had been established.
Both Kejriwal and Sisodia had earlier been arrested in connection with the liquor policy investigation but were granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2024.
The alleged scam relates to the Delhi government's 2021-22 excise policy, which was subsequently withdrawn amid allegations of irregularities in licensing and pricing mechanisms.
Central agencies had alleged that leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Kejriwal and Sisodia, accepted kickbacks from a cartel known as the 'South Group' in exchange for policy concessions benefiting select liquor licensees.
Investigators claimed that the irregular implementation of the policy caused significant losses to the public exchequer and involved manipulation of license norms and exemptions.
In September 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal in the CBI corruption case while directing him to cooperate fully with trial proceedings and refrain from making public comments on the merits of the matter.
Earlier, the top court had also granted interim relief in the related money laundering proceedings, emphasising the primacy of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Manish Sisodia was granted bail by the apex court in August 2024 after nearly 17 months of incarceration, noting that the trial involving hundreds of witnesses and extensive documentary evidence was unlikely to conclude in the near future and prolonged detention would violate the right to a speedy trial.
