Delhi HC to hear CBI challenge to Kejriwal discharge in excise case

The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear the CBI's petition challenging a trial court order that discharged AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case. Justice Manoj Jain is also expected to take up applications by Kejriwal and Sisodia seeking dismissal of the CBI's revision petition as non-maintainable.

Kejriwal and Sisodia have accused the CBI of filing the revision petition with "unprecedented haste" and in the "most unserious manner", pointing out that the agency moved the High Court within four hours of the trial court's discharge order. Siasat.com reports that in their applications, the AAP leaders asserted the trial court examined the matter for more than three months before discharging all accused, and the CBI failed to identify any specific finding that was perverse or reflected irregularity.

On February 27, the trial court discharged the accused, ruling the prosecution case was unable to survive judicial scrutiny, reports India Today. The CBI has called the discharge order "patently illegal" and "perverse", alleging the trial court conducted a mini-trial at the stage of framing charges. Justice Jain had earlier granted Kejriwal, Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak a final opportunity to respond to the CBI plea.