Summary of this article
Delhi High Court will hear the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea on May 11 against the discharge of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the alleged excise policy scam.
The trial court had discharged both leaders citing lack of sufficient evidence, prompting the CBI to approach the High Court.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s 2021-22 excise policy, with accusations of kickbacks and money laundering involving AAP leaders.
The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear on May 11 the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) petition challenging the discharge of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Manish Sisodia in the high-profile excise policy case.
The development comes after a trial court discharged both leaders in the CBI case, observing that the probe agency had failed to produce adequate evidence linking them to the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22. The CBI has now moved the High Court seeking to set aside that order.
The excise policy case has been a major political flashpoint, with both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging that AAP leaders conspired to frame a policy that favoured certain liquor cartels in exchange for kickbacks. The agencies claimed that a significant portion of the alleged illicit gains was used to fund the party’s election campaigns in other states.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in the related money laundering case in March 2024, was later granted bail by the Supreme Court. Sisodia, the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, has also been in and out of judicial custody in connection with the same matter.
The CBI’s plea before the High Court argues that the trial court’s decision to discharge the accused was erroneous and that there is sufficient material on record to proceed with the trial. The agency is expected to press for framing of charges against the leaders when the matter is heard on May 11.
This hearing is being closely watched as it could have significant implications for the ongoing legal battles faced by the AAP leadership and the political narrative ahead of future elections. Legal experts suggest the High Court’s decision may also influence parallel proceedings in the excise policy matter.
The AAP has consistently maintained that the cases are politically motivated and aimed at harassing the party and its leaders. The party has termed the CBI and ED actions as “vendetta politics” by the Centre.
