Senior advocate Kapil Sibal expressed his approval of the Delhi court’s ruling to discharge former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and others in the CBI’s excise policy case. Sibal considered this decision significant and raised concerns about accountability for the time spent in jail by Kejriwal and Sisodia. The court dismissed the CBI case against Kejriwal, Sisodia, and approximately 20-22 other accused individuals, including K. Kavitha.
He questioned who should be held accountable for the 126 days Kejriwal spent behind bars and the 503 days Sisodia was incarcerated. Sibal emphasized the need for accountability, highlighting that despite claims of a Rs 100 crore scam, the judge indicated that the decision to implicate them seemed predetermined. The court’s observations suggested a premeditated approach of deciding to frame the accused before seeking evidence to support the decision.
The court remarked that there was no recovery, seizure, or established money trail by the investigating agency. It also raised concerns about the procedure of selecting individuals to implicate before gathering supporting evidence. Recently, the court acquitted all the accused in the CBI case, citing the prosecution’s failure to present substantial evidence. It noted the absence of a criminal conspiracy and indicated that the case originated from a single oral statement against Kuldeep Singh.
The Rouse Avenue Court provided significant relief to Kejriwal and Sisodia in the excise policy case, stating that the prosecution could not substantiate its claims. The CBI alleged that a “south lobby” paid nearly Rs 100 crore to influence the 2021-22 excise policy, which was later annulled following an investigation order. This judgment offers legal respite to the Aam Aadmi Party leaders after enduring a lengthy investigation over several years.
