Lapses in probe, no proof: What court said while acquitting Kejriwal, Sisodia in excise policy case

A Delhi court on Friday discharged of corruption charges Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, Telangana Jagruthi founder K Kavitha, and 20 others accused by the Central Investigation Bureau in the liquor policy case.

In its 598-page order, the court criticised the central agency for its handling of the investigation and flagged several lapses, reported Live Law.

It said that Kejriwal and Sisodia were implicated without any cogent material and that there was no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent behind the excise policy.

Here’s what the court said in its judgement:

1. Special Judge Jitendra Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts noted that the case against Kejriwal was based on the statements of only one approver, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy. The judge said that the statement was allegedly made in front of 10 to 12 witnesses, but “they have either not been examined or, if examined, have not been cited as witnesses in the charge-sheet”. This raises serious “concerns regarding the completeness and fairness of the investigation”, added the court.

2. It said that the investigation did not begin with the identification of a specific crime and evidence. Instead, the agencies kept widening their scope, appearing to implicate more persons without fresh incriminating material at each stage. “This appears to be based on a preconceived assumption,” said the...

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