New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Rouse Avenue Court’s order discharging all 23 accused, including AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in the 2022 Delhi excise policy case.
The central agency has filed a criminal revision petition challenging the trial court’s detailed order, which had refused to frame charges in the corruption case and held that the prosecution failed to establish even a prima facie case warranting trial.
Earlier in the day, Special Judge (PC Act) Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court, in an order running into over 1,100 paragraphs, had concluded that the case projected by the CBI was “wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny” and stood “discredited in its entirety”.
The court held that after an exhaustive examination of the voluminous record and depositions of nearly 300 prosecution witnesses, no material emerged to raise even a “grave suspicion” against the accused.
The Special Judge observed that compelling the accused to face a full-fledged trial in the absence of legally admissible material would amount to a “manifest miscarriage of justice” and an abuse of the criminal process.
The case pertains to the Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22 introduced by then AAP-led city government, which was later scrapped amid allegations of corruption, kickbacks and policy manipulation.
The CBI had alleged that the policy was tailored to benefit certain private liquor entities, including the “South Group”, in exchange for alleged upfront bribes that were purportedly routed for electoral purposes.
It claimed that irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy resulted in undue favours to licensees and loss to the public exchequer.
However, the trial court rejected the “theory of an overarching conspiracy”, holding that the contemporaneous record demonstrated that the policy was the outcome of a consultative and deliberative exercise undertaken after engagement with stakeholders and in adherence to the procedure prescribed under law.
Soon after the discharge order, Kejriwal described the case as “false and fabricated” and reiterated his faith in the judiciary, saying “Satyamev Jayate”.
Sisodia was seen consoling him as party supporters gathered outside the court premises.
The CBI, however, has maintained that several aspects of the investigation were either ignored or not adequately considered by the trial court and has now sought a review of the findings before the Delhi High Court.
(IANS)
