Hours after a special court in Delhi discharged former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the alleged Delhi excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court's order.
Sources said the federal agency has raised objections to several aspects of the ruling, stating that important points were either ignored or not adequately examined by the special court at the stage of framing of charges. Quoting officials, news agency PTI reported that the CBI believes the trial court failed to properly assess the material placed on record during the investigation.
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In a statement quoted by the agency, a CBI spokesperson said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation has decided to appeal in the High Court against the judgment of the trial court immediately, since several aspects of the investigation have either been ignored or not considered adequately.”
The special court on Friday discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia and 21 other accused after refusing to take cognisance of the CBI's chargesheet in the liquor policy case. Among those discharged was K Kavitha, president of Telangana Jagruthi.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh, while passing the order, criticised the investigating agency for lapses, observing that there was no cogent evidence against Kejriwal and no prima facie case made out against Sisodia and the other accused.
The CBI has been probing allegations of corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy introduced by the previous AAP government in the national capital.
Delhi CM Questions Discharge, Alleges Evidence Tampering
Reacting to the court order, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said the relief granted to Kejriwal and others was only by a lower court and alleged that evidence in the case had been tampered with.
“This is the lower court's decision. We all know how evidence was tampered with. If you were right, then why did you withdraw the liquor policy as soon as the investigation started? The courts had also expressed concern in this case and traces of money laundering were found. Even today, you are doing drama. What development did you do in Delhi? Every day, scams emerge in schemes started by you. The people of Delhi delivered justice by voting you out. I am sure the court will also give justice,” Gupta was quoted as saying by India Today.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary also reacted to the development, stating that the judicial process must be allowed to take its course. “The law and the courts do their respective jobs,” he said.
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