Delhi High Court: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a petition challenging the discharge of Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 21 others by trial court by order dated 27 February 2026 in Delhi Excise Policy Case. A Single Judge Bench of Swarana Kanta Sharma, J., issued notice and sought reply from the 23 respondents against CBI’s petition.
The instant matter deals with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 (Delhi Excise Policy) to extend undue benefit to certain private persons/entities described as the “South Group” and allied intermediaries in consideration of illegal gratification quantified at approximately 90—100 ₹ crores. While determining whether charges should be framed against the accused or whether they were entitled to discharge under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC), the trial court discharged the accused-respondents 1 to 23 of all the offences alleged against them and held that material placed on record did not disclose even a prima facie case, much less any grave suspicion, against any of the accused persons.
While making observation against CBI, the trial court stated that what emerged in the present case was a troubling picture of an investigation steered by a preconceived outcome rather than by objective evaluation of evidence.
“Lawful administrative actions and policy decisions appear to have been selectively extracted, stripped of context, and artificially interlinked to manufacture an appearance of conspiracy. Such an approach reflects a marked departure from the settled principles governing fair investigation and betrays an effort to substitute inference and conjecture for proof.”
The Court stayed the observations made by the trial court against the CBI and listed the matter for hearing on 16 March 2026.
[CBI v. Kuldeep Singh, decided on 09-3-2026]
* Source: Press