A Delhi court on Friday sharply criticised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while discharging all 23 accused in the Delhi excise policy case, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia.
The Rouse Avenue Court held that the prosecution’s case was built on conjecture and speculative assumptions rather than legally admissible evidence. Special Judge Jitendra Singh observed that investigators appeared to have arranged facts to support a predetermined conclusion.
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The case, dating back to 2022, alleged that officials of the Kejriwal government accepted bribes while framing an excise policy favourable to certain liquor firms. The CBI had claimed that a so-called “South Group” cartel funnelled funds to the Aam Aadmi Party.
However, the court found the theory “demonstrably erroneous” and legally unsustainable. It noted that criminal law does not permit courts to “join the dots” through presumption when concrete evidence is missing.
The judge further remarked that the investigation showed a “complete disregard” for the fact that officials were performing routine duties. Calling the probe a “pre-mediated and choreographed exercise,” the court warned that such methods risk turning criminal investigation into an instrument of overreach.
Significantly, the court recommended departmental action against the investigating officer, concluding that the prosecution case failed to withstand judicial scrutiny.
