CBI's ‘booze charge’ falls flat; 'moral death sentence' for BJP

Sharply pulling up the CBI for pursuing a case "wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny", a Delhi court on Friday discharged former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the excise policy case instrumental in bringing down the AAP government. Among the 21 people cleared in the case that became a political hot potato is Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha. Hours after the verdict by special judge Jitendra Singh, the CBI filed an appeal challenging it in the Delhi High Court.

As news came in of the clean chit in the case that sent him into virtual political wilderness, a relieved Kejriwal broke down and said the corruption case against him was the "biggest political conspiracy" in the history of Independent India.

The CBI has been probing alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the erstwhile AAP government's now scrapped excise policy. The Delhi court was unsparing in its criticism of the federal probe agency. "The chargesheet suffers from internal contradictions, striking at the root of conspiracy theory," Justice Singh said. Declaring that it found no "overarching conspiracy or criminal intent" in the liquor policy, the court said, "The excise policy case, as sought to be projected by the CBI, is wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny and stands discredited in its entirety."

"Investigation appears to have proceeded on a predetermined trajectory, implicating virtually every person associated with the formulation or implementation of the policy in order to lend an illusion of depth and credibility to an otherwise fragile narrative," it said.

A Delhi court on Friday recommended a departmental inquiry against an investigating officer (IO) of the CBI for arraying a public servant as an accused.

"The duty of the court is not merely to discount the tainted investigative material, but also to recommend initiation of appropriate departmental proceedings against the erring investigating officer (IO) for framing accused 1 (Kuldeep Singh) as an accused."

Punjab AAP hailed the court's discharge of Arvind Kejriwal and his ex-deputy Sisodia in the excise policy case, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann exclaiming, "Truth always triumphs."

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the trial court's discharge of Kejriwal and others was a "moral death sentence" for the BJP as it had betrayed the people of Delhi. Yadav said truth and justice stood firmly with Kejriwal, and that no allegation could be so big that it shrouded the truth. "Today, every honest person will breathe a sigh of relief, while the BJP supporters must be writhing in deep shame.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta took a dig at Kejriwal over his claims of having a "reputation of being honest the entire life", saying he was used to living in "Sheesh Mahal" and flying in jets, all the while calling himself a common man.

Social activist Anna Hazare welcomed the discharge of Kejriwal , saying the court's verdict must be accepted as the judiciary is supreme. The anti-corruption crusader also advised Kejriwal to work for society and the country and not to think of himself or about his party.

The BJP said that though a court has acquitted Kejriwal for "lack of evidence" in a case involving the Delhi excise policy, the people of the national capital have already given him a "political response on political grounds" and the probe agency will now decide its next course of action based on technical grounds.

What used to remain a quiet corner on 5 Firoz Shah Road erupted into celebrations as the word spread about the excise case getting dismissed against Kejriwal on Friday. Ladoos and gujiya were being distributed to visitors as Aam Aadmi Party workers danced to the dhol beats and senior leaders and party MLAs shouted 'Arvind Kejriwal Zindabad.'

The Congress said it was a "predictable script" from the BJP, and proceedings against its convenient "allies" in the AAP and others will quietly vanish in light of the Gujarat and Punjab elections due next year.