New Delhi, 09 March (H.S.): The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notices to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and 21 other accused, responding to the CBI's challenge against a trial court's order discharging them in the high-profile Delhi excise policy scam.

The next hearing is fixed for March 16.

The High Court stayed adverse remarks against the CBI by the Rouse Avenue trial court and barred it from proceeding with linked money laundering cases. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBI, termed it Delhi's biggest scam ever, urging a stay on the legally flawed discharge order.

Trial Court Acquittal Under Fire

On February 27, Rouse Avenue Court freed all 23 accused, citing glaring contradictions in the chargesheet—facts mismatched witness statements across thousands of pages. It noted Sisodia's 530 days in jail and Kejriwal's 156 days (released September 13, 2024, on Supreme Court CBI bail).

ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21, 2024; SC granted interim bail till June 1 (surrendered June 2). CBI nabbed him June 26. ED's sixth supplementary chargesheet (May 10, 2024) named BRS leader K Kavitha, Chanpreet Singh, Damodar Sharma, Prince Kumar, and Arvind Singh; court took cognizance May 29. SC granted Kavitha bail August 27, 2024, and Kejriwal regular CBI bail September 13 (preceded by July 12 ED interim bail).

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar