Former Delhi CM weeps inconsolaby after court clears his name in liquor policy scam

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal became emotional after being discharged by the Rouse Avenue Court in the Delhi excise policy case. Speaking to the media for the first time after the verdict, Kejriwal wept inconsolably. 

Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was seen hugging Kejriwal, wiping his tears and consoling him as party supporters gathered around. 

Addressing reporters, Kejriwal said, "The way they kept repeating ‘Delhi excise scam’ and making allegations against us, today the court has dismissed the charges and discharged the accused. We always said that truth prevails and that we have faith in the Indian judicial system.”

He added, "I want to thank the judges for delivering the verdict. I have always believed that God is with us.” 

Kejriwal further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah orchestrated a major political conspiracy to weaken the AAP. 

"It was a completely bogus case. Television debates repeatedly portrayed me as corrupt,” he said. 

Earlier in the day, the Delhi court refused to frame charges against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others in the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam. 

No sufficient evidence 

Allowing the discharge plea, the Rouse Avenue Court held that no sufficient evidence had emerged during the investigation to proceed against the accused and did not disclose the commission of any criminal offence, including criminal conspiracy. 

Both Kejriwal and Sisodia had earlier been arrested in connection with the liquor policy investigation but were granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2024. 

The alleged scam relates to the Delhi government’s 2021-22 excise policy, which was subsequently withdrawn amid allegations of irregularities in licensing and pricing mechanisms. 

Central agencies had alleged that leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Kejriwal and Sisodia, accepted kickbacks from a cartel known as the 'South Group' in exchange for policy concessions benefiting select liquor licensees. 

Investigators claimed that irregular implementation of the policy caused significant losses to the public exchequer and involved manipulation of licence norms and exemptions. 

In September 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal in the CBI corruption case while directing him to cooperate fully with trial proceedings and refrain from making public comments on the merits of the matter. 

Arvind Kejriwal gestures as he speaks during a press conference. File/AFP

Earlier, the top court had also granted interim relief in the related money laundering proceedings, emphasising the primacy of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. 

Manish Sisodia was granted bail by the apex court in August 2024 after nearly 17 months of incarceration, noting that the trial involving hundreds of witnesses and extensive documentary evidence was unlikely to conclude in the near future and prolonged detention would violate the right to a speedy trial. 

'This is the BJP's playbook' 

The Congress on Friday mounted an attack on the BJP after the acquittal. 

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have a tacit political understanding and they help each other when it suits their interests. 

In a post on X, Khera claimed that proceedings against the BJP's "convenient allies" in AAP would "quietly vanish" ahead of Gujarat and Punjab elections. 

"This is the BJP's playbook: Vendetta as governance and agencies as campaign tools," said Khera, who heads the Media and Publicity Department of the AICC. 

He further described the BJP as a "shape-shifter" and a "wishful serpent -- Icchadhari Naag," alleging that the party would go to any extent to achieve its political objective of a "Congress-mukt Bharat." 

"For 12 years, they spewed venom at the Trinamool. And now? Narendra Modi himself is showering it with praise -- not out of respect, but to land a cheap blow at Congress," Khera added. 

The Congress leader also claimed that with elections approaching, cases against Congress leaders would "suddenly accelerate." 

Referring to former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, Khera said he had been "dragged back into the spotlight" as Tamil Nadu heads towards polls. 

Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, speaking to IANS, said that if the judicial process runs its full course, the truth would eventually emerge. 

"The relationship between the BJP and the AAP is political, and they help each other. The BJP earlier believed that as long as the AAP exists, it will not be able to form a government in Delhi," Dikshit said.

Indo-Asian News Service