A Bogus Case That Dented Hopes of Crores — Until Truth Hit Back Hard

The alleged Delhi liquor scam, in which Aam Aadmi Party government and its leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were primarily targeted, has been discharged as bogus. Unlike this case, this order is not mere hearsay, but a 598-page discharge order dated February 27, 2026, pronounced by Special Judge Jitendra Singh at Rouse Avenue Court.

Here are the 10 most relevant points of this order:

1. No prima facie evidence of any overarching conspiracy — The court explicitly ruled there was no "overarching conspiracy" in the framing or implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, rejecting the CBI's central allegation of a coordinated corrupt scheme.
2. No criminal intent found in the policy itself — The judge held there was "no criminal intent" behind the policy decisions, describing it as a consultative and deliberative process involving stakeholders, not an abrupt or manipulative exercise.
3. CBI chargesheet failed judicial scrutiny — The entire prosecution case "doesn't stand scrutiny," with the court finding it "wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny" and discredited due to major gaps, contradictions, and lack of sustainable material.
4. Reliance on hearsay, speculation, and inadmissible/inconsistent evidence — The chargesheet heavily depended on hearsay, inconsistent witness statements, and conjecture rather than concrete, admissible evidence; the court noted large procedural lapses and violations of constitutional principles.
5. No material showing bribe demand, acceptance, or quid pro quo — There was no cogent evidence of any bribe demand, payment, receipt, or quid pro quo involving Kejriwal, Sisodia, or other accused — essential ingredients for the corruption charges were missing.
6. Kejriwal implicated without any cogent material — Specifically for Arvind Kejriwal, the court observed that he was implicated "without any cogent material" or independent evidence linking him to the alleged conspiracy.
7. No prima facie case against Sisodia or criminal intent on his part — For Manish Sisodia, the court found "no prima facie case" and explicitly stated "no criminal intent" attributable to him in policy formulation or implementation.
8. Probe described as "premeditated and choreographed exercise" — The court strongly criticized the CBI investigation as a "premeditated, choreographed exercise" in parts, based on speculation rather than facts, calling it a potential "miscarriage of justice" in places.
9. Departmental inquiry ordered against erring CBI investigating officer — The judge directed a departmental probe into the "erring investigating officer" for framing charges against the accused despite the absence of material evidence, highlighting investigative misconduct.
10. All 23 accused discharged; no case for trial made out — After examining the chargesheet, supplementary filings, and thousands of pages of documents/witness statements, the court discharged all 23 accused (including Kejriwal, Sisodia, Durgesh Pathak, Vijay Nair, and others), refusing to take cognizance of the chargesheet as no sustainable case existed even at the cognizance stage.

Thousands of pages of charge sheet of imagination, hundreds of raids where nothing was found, arrests of top AAP leaders and months of jail with sever charges like money laundering, but no money trail, allegation of corruption in crores but no quid pro quo - and after 5 years the court says it was an imaginary sand castle built by an investigating officer. These observations are inline with the statements Aam Aadmi party made throughout the investigation process.
While this played out in the judicial grounds the real game was a political conspiracy that used state law enforcement machinery like CBI and ED. A conspiracy that not only changed the political landscape but also dented hopes of crores of Indians in clean, honest and pro-people politics.
Why this conspiracy was hatched? November 2012: Aam Aadmi Party founded

A people's movement of India Against corruption gives rise to a political party. Aam Aadmi party sets the narrative of clean, honest and pro-people political alternative and challenges the corrupt establishment.

December 2013: Delhi Assembly Election
AAP forms government: In its debut election AAP won 28/70 seat and formed its first government and Arvind Kejriwal became the chief minister of Delhi.

February 2015: Delhi Assembly Election
AAP landslide victory: Won 67/70 seats, BJP 3 seats. It was AAP's strongest mandate ever under Kejriwal. High public approval for anti-corruption narrative and social welfare schemes of free water and power. The promises were delivered and commendable work was done in education and health.

February 2020: Delhi Assembly Election
AAP wins hearts of Delhi: Won 62/70 seats, BJP 8 seats. High public approval for welfare schemes (power/water/education/health) and a hope for honest politics builds.

December 2022: Delhi MCD Election
AAP's first major civic win: Secured 134/250 seats, ends BJP's 15-year control of the Municipal Corporation. BJP got 104 seats. AAP momentum held in local polls.

2022: Punjab Assembly Election
AAP breakthrough outside Delhi: Swept 92/117 seats, forming government under Bhagwant Mann. This boosted AAP nationally as a third force, showing expansion potential despite emerging Delhi excise allegations.

2022: Gujarat Assembly Election
AAP entered as third player: Won 5/182 seats with 13% vote share in contested areas, in a state that was majorly dominated by BJP.

2022: Goa Assembly Election
Entry in another state: Won 2/40 seats with 6% vote share. A win that give Aam Aadmi Party a national party status.

At this point AAP became a formidable political force whose rapid growth meant trouble for established political parties like BJP and congress and also to the corrupt establishment. The pro-people governance of AAP was acknowledged nationally and internationally. It was becoming evident that defeating AAP on merit was virtually impossible and the political establishment drenched in corruption could not take the moral high ground either. Aam Aadmi Party was an unstoppable threat to the corrupt system.

Thus the never existed LIQOUR SCAM. A conspiracy narrative that ousted AAP government from Delhi and gave a comeback to BJP. The established political masters manipulated the election game at the cost of denting the hopes of crores of Indians. A hope of clean, honest and pro-people politics.

Have we really lost hope or will India fight back?