Kejriwal, Sisodia’s acquittal has vindicated AAP’s top leadership: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Feb 27: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said acquittal of former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders by a court in a corruption case had brought to fore the “high-handedness” of the investigative agencies.

“Today’s judgement discharging Kejriwal, Sisodia & Kavitha in the excise policy case exposes the high handedness of investigative agencies,” Mehbooba said in a post on X.

She said when agencies are wielded like political swords, justice becomes the first casualty, and truth surfaces only after “years of pain and tears.”

“No prima facie case. No credible evidence. Yet years of incarceration. Nothing is more dangerous than the misuse of power and the weaponisation of institutions. Yet somehow it continues unabated,” she added.

Notably, in a major relief to Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, a Delhi court on Friday discharged the former Delhi chief minister and his ex-deputy in the politically charged liquor policy case, as it refused to take cognisance of the CBI chargesheet. Besides the two leaders, 21 more were discharged in the case.

The Court, in strong words, rapped the CBI for lapses in investigation and said that the “voluminous chargesheet” has many lacunae not supported by any witness or statement. The Court said that the CBI failed to make out a prima facie case against Sisodia. The Judge added Kejriwal was implicated without any cogent material. While pronouncing the verdict, the Court said that the CBI chargesheet running into thousands of pages included material which did not support any of the witness statements. The judge also said there were “misleading averments” in the chargesheet.

The chargesheet had lacunae not supported by any witnesses or evidence, the Court said. While discharging the primary accused- Kuldeep Singh, the judge said it was surprising why he was implicated as the first accused when there was absolutely no material against him. On Sisodia, who was accused of being the person responsible for formulation and implementation of the liquor policy, the Court said that there was no evidence showing his involvement and neither was there any recovery.