New Delhi, March 9 (NationPress) On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented arguments before the Delhi High Court asserting that the trial court's ruling to discharge AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in connection with the 2021-22 excise policy case was “perverse”, effectively granting an acquittal without a proper trial.

Representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), SG Mehta informed a single-judge Bench led by Justice Swarnakanta Sharma that the case pertains to “one of the largest scams in the history of the national Capital”.

“This petition is a challenge against the discharge order. The core accusation is that a distorted policy was established to benefit specific traders,” the second-highest legal official of the Centre emphasized, arguing that the contested order “upends criminal law”.

He contended that the trial court mistakenly concluded that there was insufficient corroborative evidence against the accused.

“The judge, in determining the discharge, stated that there was a lack of corroborative evidence. However, there exists ample corroborative material that cannot be disregarded. The discharge stage is not where detailed corroboration is assessed,” SG Mehta stated.

The CBI noted that the ruling effectively amounted to an acquittal prior to the commencement of a full trial.

“This is a ruling of acquittal without trial. There is a clear case of corruption involving bribes being accepted, meetings occurring, and forensic evidence present,” SG Mehta informed the Delhi High Court.

He referred to the investigations undertaken by the central agency, asserting that the CBI had amassed significant evidence indicating a broader conspiracy behind the establishment of the excise policy.

“This represents one of the most substantial scams in the national Capital. A thorough investigation has been carried out, establishing the conspiracy and its various elements,” SG Mehta argued.

“Witnesses have provided clear accounts of how the conspiracy was devised, detailing the payment of bribes and the recipients,” he added, noting that the prosecution also possesses emails and WhatsApp conversations tied to the alleged transactions.

The Delhi High Court is currently reviewing a criminal revision petition filed by the CBI challenging the Rouse Avenue Court's decision to discharge all 23 individuals implicated in the case related to the now-revoked excise policy introduced by the then AAP-led city government.

The CBI has alleged that the policy was designed to favor certain private liquor businesses, notably the 'South Group', in return for supposed upfront bribes that were allegedly funneled for electoral purposes.

Additionally, it claimed that irregularities in the development and execution of the policy resulted in unwarranted benefits to licensees and losses to the public treasury.

Nonetheless, the trial court dismissed the agency's “theory of an overarching conspiracy”, asserting that the existing records indicated that the policy was a product of a consultative and deliberative process conducted in compliance with established procedures.