India’s largest central investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, has approached the Delhi High Court against a Delhi court’s decision to close the Delhi Liquor Policy case. The CBI’s appeal will be heard in the High Court on March 9. It has been listed for hearing before a division bench of Justice Swaran Kanta Sharma.
It is noteworthy that the special court at Rouse Avenue in Delhi had reprimanded the CBI while discharging all 23 people, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, various Aam Aadmi Party leaders, and officials on Friday. The case, which alleged irregularities and corruption in Delhi’s liquor policy, was filed before Judge Jitendra Singh, who hears CBI cases. The judge not only acquitted all the accused but also ordered a departmental inquiry against the CBI officer investigating the case.
The then-Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and other accused were arrested and jailed for several months. Several Excise Department officials were also named as accused in the case. The court questioned the CBI’s investigating officer’s motives and methods, stating that there was insufficient evidence to pursue the case. The court also criticized the prosecution’s handling of the case.
