Kejriwal, Sisodia Cleared in Delhi Liquor Policy Case; AAP Chief Breaks Down in Tears

In a dramatic legal and emotional moment, a Special Court in New Delhi on Wednesday discharged all 23 accused — including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia — in the CBI's case related to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The ruling brought an end to one of India's most high-profile political prosecutions and reduced Kejriwal, who had maintained a brave public front throughout his ordeal, to tears outside the court.

The CBI had alleged that the Delhi Excise Policy introduced by the AAP government was deliberately designed to benefit select private entities — through reduced licence fees and fixed profit margins — resulting in kickbacks and financial losses to the state exchequer. The case led to the arrest of Sisodia, who spent nearly two years in jail, and Kejriwal himself — making him the first sitting Chief Minister in Indian history to be arrested and imprisoned, spending six months behind bars.

The Special Court found that the CBI had failed to establish even a prima facie case against any of the 23 accused, concluding that the agency's conspiracy theory rested on conjecture rather than concrete evidence. The judge delivered a pointed rebuke of the CBI's investigative methodology — specifically its heavy reliance on approver statements — observing that granting pardon to an accused, converting him into an approver, and then using his testimony to rope in additional accused persons was constitutionally improper and amounted to a grave violation of legal principles.

Surrounded by reporters outside the court, Kejriwal — who has won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership — visibly struggled to contain his emotions as he addressed the media.

"To destroy AAP, its five biggest leaders were put in jail. Even a sitting Chief Minister — something never before seen in Indian history — was dragged from his home and imprisoned for six months," he said, his voice breaking. "The case was entirely fabricated."

As he spoke of the relentless media coverage branding him corrupt, his composure gave way entirely. His head dropped, hands reached up to cover his face, and he broke down. Sisodia, standing nearby, stepped forward and the two leaders embraced — with those around them heard saying, "Sambhaliye, sir. Himmat, sir — Be strong, sir. Be strong."

Fighting back tears, Kejriwal declared: "I have only earned my living through honesty. The court has said that Kejriwal is staunchly honest, Manish Sisodia is staunchly honest, and AAP is staunchly honest."