CBI Challenges Court Ruling Favoring Kejriwal in Liquor Policy Case

The CBI has taken legal action against a special court's decision that acquitted Arvind Kejriwal and others in the liquor policy case. The agency claims the ruling was based on a selective interpretation of evidence and failed to consider the overall actions of the accused. With a hearing set for March 9, the CBI argues that the order is fraught with errors and misinterpretations, challenging the integrity of the investigation. This case continues to unfold as the CBI seeks to overturn the acquittal.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 2, 2026, 19:16 IST

CBI Appeals Against Court's Acquittal of Kejriwal and Others

In a significant legal move, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has contested a special court's decision that acquitted former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in the liquor policy case. The agency argued before the Delhi High Court that the ruling was based on a selective interpretation of the prosecution's case, disregarding evidence that implicated the accused, and labeled the order as 'clearly illegal.'

In its 974-page petition submitted to the High Court, the CBI asserted that the special judge conducted a brief hearing that failed to assess the actions of the accused comprehensively, instead addressing various aspects of the conspiracy separately. The agency criticized the ruling as 'distorted,' claiming it contained 'clear errors' and was based on a 'misinterpretation' of facts, violating the Supreme Court's comments and directives related to the stage of framing charges.

On Friday, the special court had dismissed the CBI's chargesheet against Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and 21 others involved in the liquor policy case. Among those granted a clean chit was K. Kavitha, the president of Telangana Jagruthi. Special Judge Jitendra Singh reprimanded the CBI for deficiencies in the investigation, stating that there was no solid evidence against Kejriwal and that no prima facie case existed against Sisodia and the other accused.

Shortly after the ruling, the CBI filed an urgent review petition challenging the order in the High Court, with the hearing scheduled for March 9. The CBI emphasized that the contested order was evidently illegal, distorted, and fraught with errors. It expressed that not only was there a failure to understand the facts of the case in the correct context, but the special judge's shortcomings also led to unfounded and incomprehensible remarks against both the investigative agency and its officers.