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Court clears Kejriwal in liquor policy case
A Delhi court dismissed corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal, former chief minister of Delhi, on Friday, nearly two years after his arrest ahead of India's 2024 general election. The ruling also exonerated 23 others, including senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Case background
Kejriwal was detained in March 2024 over accusations that a 2021 liquor policy granted unfair benefits to private retailers. The policy, introduced by his government, aimed to curb black-market sales, boost revenue, and distribute liquor licenses more evenly. It was scrapped months later after Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena accused AAP of manipulating rules to favor liquor barons.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case in July 2022 based on Saxena's complaint. Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders-former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and party spokesperson Sanjay Singh-were jailed for extended periods after courts repeatedly denied them bail.
Court findings and criticism
The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi ruled there was "no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent" in the excise policy. The judge criticized the CBI for relying on "mere conjecture" to construct a conspiracy narrative and for building its case on statements from approvers-accomplices who turned state witnesses in exchange for leniency.
"If such conduct is allowed, it would be a grave violation of Constitutional principles... A fair investigation is essential for a fair trial,"
the court stated, as reported by legal news website Bar and Bench.
The court also recommended a departmental inquiry against CBI officials for their "shoddy probe." The agency announced it would appeal the verdict.
Reactions and political context
Kejriwal broke down outside the court after the ruling, embracing Sisodia. "In the end, unrighteousness and injustice are defeated and truth alone prevails," he told reporters.
Kejriwal had previously accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which controls Delhi's police and investigative agencies, of targeting opposition leaders-a claim the BJP denied. The case unfolded amid heightened political tensions, with AAP alleging misuse of state institutions to suppress dissent.
What's next
The CBI's planned appeal could prolong legal proceedings. Meanwhile, the court's recommendation for an inquiry into the agency's handling of the case may prompt further scrutiny of its methods.
