The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court, challenging a special court order that discharged former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and others in the 2021-22 excise policy case.
According to reports, the federal agency flagged several aspects of the case that it claims were ignored or not adequately considered by the special court at the stage of framing charges. Earlier in the day, a CBI spokesperson was quoted by news agency PTI as saying: “The CBI has decided to appeal in the High Court against the judgment of the trial court immediately since several aspects of the investigation have either been ignored or not considered adequately.”
A Delhi court on Friday discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia, and 21 others in the liquor policy case. The court refused to take cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet against them. Among those discharged was the president of Telangana Jagruthi, K Kavitha.
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What Did The Court Say?
Special Judge Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court criticised the CBI for lapses in the investigation. He observed that there was no clear evidence against Kejriwal and no prima facie case against Sisodia and the other accused. In a strongly worded order, Singh ruled that the prosecution’s case was “legally infirm, unsustainable, and unfit to proceed any further in law.” The court observed that when the material collected by the agency was tested on the touchstone of admissibility, relevance, and probative value, “the appearance of a coherent conspiracy dissolves,” exposing the allegations as being founded on inadmissible material and post-facto reconstruction.
Arvind Kejriwal Slams BJP
Addressing a press conference following his acquittal, Kejriwal lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold elections in Delhi again. "I challenge Modi ji to hold elections in Delhi again. I can say with confidence that if they get more than 10 seats, I will leave politics,” Kejriwal said. He added, “Today, the court in its 600-page order has said that there is not the slightest evidence to even have a case in this matter."