A Delhi court on Friday granted major legal relief to former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the excise policy corruption case. The court refused to accept the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and discharged both leaders from the case. Along with them, former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha and 21 others were also given a clean chit.

The CBI announced it would immediately appeal the trial court’s decision before the Delhi High Court, arguing that several key aspects of the investigation were overlooked. During the hearing, Special Judge Jitendra Singh criticized the CBI’s investigation, noting inconsistencies and lack of strong evidence against Kejriwal and Sisodia. The court observed that the charges were inconsistent with the rule of law and lacked concrete proof.

Following the verdict, Kejriwal became emotional outside the Rouse Avenue Court and said the judgment proved both he and Sisodia were honest, describing the Aam Aadmi Party as a “deeply honest” organization.