Kejriwal Breaks Down After Court Clears Liquor Case: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was seen breaking down in tears on Friday after a Delhi court acquitted him and his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, of all charges in the Delhi liquor excise policy case. The emotional scene, which was captured on camera outside the courtroom, saw Sisodia consoling Kejriwal as the two leaders hugged each other in the presence of a horde of reporters.
The verdict marked the end of one of the most controversial cases in recent political history, providing huge relief to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose top leadership had been behind bars for months during the course of the investigation. A special court in New Delhi discharged all 23 accused in the case, which was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), holding that no prima facie case of corruption or criminal conspiracy was made out.
In its order, the court stated that it could not find “any overarching conspiracy or criminal intent” in the now-revoked Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The judge noted that the prosecution could not prove how the policy led to any unauthorised gains to the accused persons or any loss to the public exchequer. The court also noted that the investigation agency was largely dependent on unverified statements and not on independent and concrete evidence.
The court also expressed its criticism of the investigation, especially the use of approver statements. The court said that the practice of pardoning accused persons and then using their statements to fill gaps in the investigation or to implicate other persons was not proper. This practice, the judge said, could lead to a serious violation of the constitutional principles of criminal justice.
The liquor excise policy case arose from charges that the Delhi government’s policy was intended to favor certain private companies with lower license fees and set profit margins, resulting in kickbacks. The policy was subsequently withdrawn after a political storm, and central agency investigations resulted in the arrest of several leaders of the AAP.
Kejriwal, speaking outside the courtroom, remembered his arrest in March 2024. “It was a very painful experience for me. A sitting Chief Minister was dragged out of his house and put behind bars,” he said, his voice shaking. “That did not shake me. But today, when the court has said the truth, I could not control my emotions.”
Pointing an accusing finger at the Centre, Kejriwal said, “This is a big political conspiracy to finish AAP.” Addressing the media in Hindi, the 57-year-old politician said, “Our deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was kept in jail for almost two years. The whole case was a conspiracy.”
As Kejriwal struggled to hold back his tears, Sisodia came forward and hugged him, telling him to be strong. Onlookers were heard saying, “Sambhaliye, sir,” while someone asked for water. “Kejriwal is not corrupt,” the AAP leader repeated. “The court has proven that Kejriwal is honest, Manish Sisodia is honest, and AAP is honest.”
The legal tussle had major political ramifications. The arrest and imprisonment of the AAP party’s top leaders had a shadow effect on the party before the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party won a landslide victory, taking 48 out of 70 seats in the national capital after almost three decades.
According to legal analysts, the strong remarks by the court may have major implications for future corruption cases against political leaders, especially in matters of approvers and the level of evidence required. For AAP, the acquittal is a moral victory, even as the party tries to regain its footing politically after a tumultuous period that has seen the party’s leaders arrested and face public scrutiny.
Read more…Arvind Kejriwal Sisodia Cleared in Delhi Liquor Policy Case
