New Delhi, February 27, 2026 — In a sharp rebuke to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Delhi court on Friday discharged all 23 accused — including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha — in the high-profile Delhi Excise Policy corruption case, while directing departmental proceedings against the CBI's investigating officer.
Special Judge (PC Act) Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court, in a detailed 598-page order, ruled that there was "no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent" in the framing of the now-scrapped 2021-22 Excise Policy. The court held that the CBI failed to make out even a prima facie case against any of the accused and described the investigation as a “pre-meditated and choreographed exercise, wherein roles appear to have been retrospectively assigned to suit a preconceived narrative.”
The judge specifically ordered action against the CBI Investigating Officer (IO) for naming Kuldeep Singh — the then Deputy Commissioner of Excise and accused number one (A-1) — without any legally admissible material.
“I am recommending a departmental inquiry with respect to framing A1 [Singh] as an accused. There is no material at all… and you have framed him as accused number 1,” the judge observed, adding: “Department proceedings against the erring CBI officer is necessary to fix accountability and preserve the credibility of the investigative machinery.”
The court expressed further concern over the IO’s “self-contradictory stance” in keeping certain officials, such as former Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna and then-Deputy Commissioner Anand Kumar Tewari, both in the “suspects” column and as prosecution witnesses. This, the judge said, revealed “a conscious and calculated stratagem” to keep the narrative fluid and protect the investigator rather than seek the truth.
“To compel the accused to face the rigours of a full-fledged criminal trial in the stark absence of any legally admissible material… would constitute a manifest miscarriage of justice,” the order stated.
The CBI had alleged that the policy was manipulated to favour certain liquor cartels in exchange for kickbacks of over ₹100 crore, allegedly used to fund AAP’s election campaigns in Punjab and Goa. The case stemmed from a 2022 complaint by Delhi’s then-Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and involved charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC sections relating to criminal conspiracy and cheating.
However, the court found the chargesheet riddled with “internal contradictions” and reliant on inadmissible evidence, including hearsay from approvers and unverified financial entries. It rejected the agency’s theory of an “ever-expanding sweep” to implicate AAP national leaders.
Reacting to the verdict, the CBI immediately moved the Delhi High Court challenging the discharge order, stating that several aspects of the investigation had not been adequately considered by the trial court.
The development marks a significant setback for the CBI in one of its most politically sensitive probes and comes as a major relief for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of key electoral battles.
The court’s strong observations on investigative accountability are likely to trigger internal scrutiny within the CBI on the conduct of its officers in high-stakes cases.
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