A court in India has dismissed a corruption case against former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal nearly two years after his arrest and months of detention. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was arrested in March 2024, weeks before India's general election, over a liquor policy that authorities alleged gave undue advantages to private retailers.

On Friday, the court cleared Kejriwal and 23 others, stating there was "no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent in the excise policy." The judge also criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a shoddy probe and recommended an inquiry against its officials. The CBI said it would appeal the verdict.

Following the court order, Kejriwal broke down outside the court while speaking to journalists, as former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia hugged him. "In the end, unrighteousness and injustice are defeated and truth alone prevails," Kejriwal said.

Sisodia and AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh were also arrested in the case in 2023 and are among the 23 cleared by the court. After their arrest, all three AAP leaders spent significant time in jail, repeatedly denied bail by lower courts before receiving relief from the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal had accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which controls police and investigative agencies in the capital, of plotting against him and targeting opposition leaders—allegations the BJP has denied. The court criticized the CBI for "trying to construct a narrative of conspiracy on the basis of mere conjecture" and rebuked it for relying on approver statements, calling for a fair investigation.

The liquor policy that led to the arrests was introduced by the Kejriwal government in 2021 but withdrawn months later after Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena accused AAP of exploiting rules. A CBI case was registered in July 2022 based on Saxena's complaint.

Source: www.bbc.com