Failed to establish even prima facie case: Why court discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia in liquor case

The Delhi court emphasised that serious criminal allegations against th senior AAP leaders must be backed by substantive material, not inference or narrative.

A Delhi court, while discharging former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the excise policy scam case, delivered a pointed critique of the prosecution’s evidence and conspiracy claims, holding that the case failed to meet even the basic threshold required to proceed to trial.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday emphasised that serious criminal allegations must be backed by substantive material, not inference or narrative.

“Serious allegations must be supported by material evidence. The attribution of a central conspiratorial role cannot be sustained on the record," the court said.

"Public confidence in high office is affected if prosecution allegations are found to be unsupported by material," it added.

The court further said that there was "no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent" behind the liquor policy.

The judge further warned against investigative practices that rely on turning an accused into an approver to widen the net of culpability. The court observed that permitting such conduct would amount to a grave violation of constitutional principles.