New Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday launched a sharp attack on AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal after a special court discharged him and 22 others in the Delhi Excise Policy case, questioning his claims of being “kattar imandaar” (brutally honest).

Reacting to the order, Gupta said the verdict came from a lower court and alleged that evidence had been tampered with during the course of the investigation.

“This could be a lower court’s decision. We all know how the evidence was tampered with when this matter arose. Around 150 mobile phones were destroyed and their data deleted. If you were right, why did you withdraw the liquor policy as soon as the investigation began?” she asked.

Gupta accused Kejriwal of presiding over irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22, claiming that the commission for traders was increased from 5 per cent to 12 per cent and that the sector was being pushed toward privatisation.

“Can you say that giving one liquor bottle free with another was right for Delhi? The High Court and the Supreme Court had also expressed concerns. Evidence of money laundering was found. And today you are boasting about honesty?” she said.

She further referred to alleged irregularities in other matters, including the so-called “Sheesh Mahal” controversy and school infrastructure projects, alleging cost escalations and incomplete works.

“The people of Delhi have already delivered their verdict, and for the money of the people of Delhi that you have embezzled, there will be justice for that too,” Gupta added.

The remarks follow an order by Special Judge (PC Act) Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court, who discharged all 23 accused, including Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in the CBI case linked to the excise policy.

The court held that the prosecution failed to establish even a prima facie case, describing the allegations as “legally infirm, unsustainable, and unfit to proceed any further in law.” It criticised the investigative approach of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), observing that its theory relied on conjectures rather than admissible evidence. The court also cautioned against using approver statements to fill evidentiary gaps and recommended a departmental inquiry against certain CBI officials.

However, the CBI has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the discharge order and seeking to have it set aside, keeping the legal proceedings alive.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal welcomed the trial court’s verdict, calling it proof of his and the Aam Aadmi Party’s integrity. At a press conference, he alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had conspired against him because they could not defeat the AAP politically.

“The court’s 600-page order says there is not even the slightest evidence to have a case in this matter. Kejriwal and AAP are ‘kattar imandaar’,” he said, challenging the Centre to hold fresh Delhi Assembly elections.

The case originated from allegations that the Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22 was framed to benefit certain private liquor licensees by reducing licence fees and fixing profit margins, resulting in alleged kickbacks and financial loss to the Delhi government. The FIR was registered by the CBI in August 2022 following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

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With the special court’s order, proceedings at the trial court stage have concluded for now. The validity of the discharge will be examined by the Delhi High Court following the CBI’s appeal.