Kejriwal, Sisodia among all 23 discharged by court in Delhi liquor policy case

The Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the CBI chargesheet in the excise policy-linked corruption case, in which Kejriwal and Sisodia were arrested.

Updated on: Feb 27, 2026, 12:18:12 IST

Edited by Nayanika Sengupta

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A Delhi court on Friday discharged all 23 accused persons in CBI’s excise policy case or the alleged liquor scam case, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-deputy CM Manish Sisodia - Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal (in blue) and party leader Manish Sisodia (L) wave to crowd during an event (ANI/@msisodia)

CBI has decided to appeal in the high court against the judgement of trial court immediately, saying several aspects of investigation have either been ignored or not considered adequately.

After the court's decision, Kejriwal was seen breaking down while speaking to reporters.

"I am not corrupt. The court has said that Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are honest," he said, and broke into tears. Excise case was biggest political conspiracy in history of Independent India, he added.

The order was passed by Special Judge Jitendra Singh. The court said that it has found no material at all against the accused persons to support the prosecution agency’s evidence.

The Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet in the excise policy-linked corruption case.

Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were among those arrested in the case which the CBI had been probing alleging corruption in the formulation and execution of the erstwhile-AAP government's now-scrapped excise policy.

Kejriwal and Sisodia were arrested while they were chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively, of Delhi.

“Court order proves Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party are ‘Kattar Imaandar’ [dead honest]," Kejriwal said after the order.

A Delhi court in January acquitted former Kejriwal in two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations of skipping the federal agency’s summonses during its probe into the Delhi excise policy case.

The CBI filed its first chargesheet in 2022, followed by multiple supplementary chargesheets. The agency has alleged that ₹100 crore was paid by a "south lobby" to influence the now-scrapped excise policy in its favour.

In total, 23 accused were chargesheeted, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha, Kuldeep Singh, Narender Singh, Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Mootha Goutam, Sameer Mahendru, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Arjun Pandey, Butchibabu Gornatla, Rakesh Joshi, Damodar Prasad Sharma, Prince Kumar, Chanpreet Singh Rayat, Arvind Kumar Singh, Durgesh Pathak, Amit Arora, Vinod Chauhan, Ashish Mathur, and P Sarath Chadra Reddy, according to a news agency ANI report.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nayanika Sengupta
Nayanika is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, with over six years of experience in the digital media industry. She specialises in delivering clear, insightful coverage across general, national, and international beats, with a strong focus on breaking news and in-depth explainers. Known for her ability to decode complex developments, she enjoys unpacking layered political and policy issues into accessible, reader-friendly narratives that inform without overwhelming. She has previously worked in India's leading newsrooms, including India Today, News18, and Outlook, where she chased news, covered major events of the past six years and led teams. With a Master's degree in Political Science, Nayanika has a keen interest in international relations and global affairs. Her academic grounding shapes her analytical approach to stories, enabling her to connect the dots between domestic events and broader geopolitical currents. She is particularly drawn to stories that require context, nuance, and clarity - turning complicated subjects into compelling reads. Outside the newsroom, Nayanika is a passionate gourmand who loves cooking and sharing meals with loved ones. When she's not writing or tracking the latest headlines, she can often be found exploring local markets for fresh ingredients, seeking inspiration for her next culinary experiment.Read More

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