NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday discharged former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the Delhi excise policy case, refusing to take cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s chargesheet over lack of evidence and serious gaps in the probe.
The Rouse Avenue Court also ordered a departmental inquiry against the investigating officer, making strong observations on the manner in which the investigation was conducted.
Soon after the ruling, the Aam Aadmi Party termed the order a decisive setback to the prosecution’s case, asserting that the court had effectively rejected the prosecution’s narrative.
As the judgment was pronounced, an emotional Arvind Kejriwal spoke with visible tears in his eyes, saying that he had earned nothing but honesty in his public life. Calling the entire case fabricated, he said that in the end injustice and wrongdoing are defeated and truth alone prevails, Satyamev Jayate.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said that for the past several years the BJP had repeatedly levelled allegations of a liquor scam against him and his colleagues, but on Friday the court rejected all those charges and acquitted every accused in the case.
“We have always said that truth triumphs. We have faith in the Indian judicial system. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the learned judge who delivered justice to us. Truth has won. I have always said that God is with us,” he affirmed.
The AAP Supremo further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah together orchestrated the biggest political conspiracy in independent India. He said that to finish the AAP, five of its top leaders were sent to jail.
“For the first time in the history of India, a sitting Chief Minister was dragged from his home and sent to jail, and kept there for six months. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was kept in jail for nearly two years. The entire case was fake,” he said.
Arvind Kejriwal said that mud was thrown at them and that television channels ran debates round the clock branding him corrupt. “For 24 hours, news channels kept saying that Kejriwal is corrupt. But Kejriwal is not corrupt. I have earned only honesty in my life. A false case was filed against us and today it has been proven. The court has said that Kejriwal is staunchly honest. Manish Sisodia is staunchly honest. The Aam Aadmi Party is staunchly honest,” he said.
Addressing PM Modi, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Do not play with the country for the sake of power. Do not tamper with the Constitution in this manner. If you want power, do good work. The country is facing enormous problems today. There is inflation, there is unemployment, roads across the country are in a broken condition, and pollution is everywhere. There are so many problems in every corner of the country. Come to power by solving those problems.”
Arvind Kejriwal questioned why false cases were filed against him and the AAP. “Come to power by doing good work. Filing false cases like this, running baseless cases against opponents and opposition leaders round the clock, and sending them to jail does not befit a Prime Minister. The country will not progress like this. The country will move forward only when the problems of the people are solved,” he said.
The probe agency said it would immediately appeal in the Delhi High Court against the trial court judgement.
"Several aspects of probe have been either ignored or not considered adequately," a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia expressed happiness over the Rouse Avenue Court verdict and wrote on X, “Satyamev Jayate. Today, once again, we feel proud of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s far-sighted vision and the Constitution he gave us. Despite the entire party of Modi ji and all agencies making every effort to prove us dishonest, it has been established today that Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are staunchly honest.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took to X, stating, “Truth always triumphs. AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal ji and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia ji have been acquitted by the Hon’ble Delhi court in the liquor case. This decision of the court has brought the truth before everyone. With time, the truth of all other cases will also come out. Inquilab Zindabad.”