The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken the step to challenge the decision of the Rouse Avenue Court that discharged all 23 accused, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, in the 2022 Delhi excise policy case. The CBI has filed a criminal revision petition against the trial court’s order, which stated that there was no basis to proceed with the trial due to lack of evidence.
In a detailed order spanning over 1,100 paragraphs, Special Judge Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court expressed that the CBI’s case did not hold up under judicial scrutiny and was discredited entirely. The court emphasized that there was no substantial evidence against the accused even after examining a vast amount of records and witness testimonies.
The case revolves around the 2021–22 Delhi Excise Policy introduced by the AAP-led government, which was later revoked amidst allegations of corruption and policy manipulation. The CBI alleged that the policy favored specific private liquor entities in exchange for bribes, leading to losses for the public exchequer. However, the trial court dismissed the notion of a conspiracy and highlighted that the policy was formulated through a lawful consultative process.
