Arvind Kejriwal Breaks Down After Court Relief, Manish Sisodia Consoles Him

Arvind Kejriwal, the first sitting chief minister to be arrested, recounted that he was picked up from his Delhi home and thrown into jail. That did not break him. Nearly two years later, he broke down in tears when a court cleared him of all charges in the Delhi liquor policy case.  

The case stemmed from allegations of corruption in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 introduced by the AAP government. The CBI had alleged that the policy was designed to favour select private entities by reducing licence fees and fixing profit margins, leading to kickbacks and financial losses to the Delhi government.

The AAP leader today blamed the Centre for this "big political cospiracy" againt him. 

"To destroy AAP, its five biggest leaders were put in jail. Even a sitting Chief Minister, something never before seen in Indian history, was dragged from his home and imprisoned for six months. Our deputy, Manish Sisodia, was kept him in jail for nearly two years. The case was entirely fabricated," Kejriwal, 57, who spoke in Hindi, told reporters.

"We were harassed. Debates were going on TV channels, news was shown that Kejriwal is corrupt," Kejriwal, who had put up a brave front so far, broke down in tears.

Ringed in by reporters, Kejriwal's head dropped a bit and the emotions got the better of him. His hands reached up to his face as he burst into tears. Manish Sisodia, who was standing nearby, reached out to Kejriwal. And the two leaders fell into a hug. 

"Sambhaliye, sir, apne aap ko, sambhaliye. Himmat, sir (Be strong, sir. Be strong)," the people around him could be heard saying on the video.

Someone also called for water. 

"Kejriwal is not corrupt," the AAP leader said, fighting back tears.

"I have only earned my living through honesty. They filed a false case, and today it has been proven. The court has said that Kejriwal is stanuchly honest, Manish Sisodia is staunchly honest, and AAP is staunchly honest," Kejriwal, who won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, underlined.

The leaders are now free but the impact of the case was felt in the 2025 Delhi polls, where the BJP emerged the big winner. With 48 of the city's 70 seats in its pocket, the party claimed power in the national capital for the first time in nearly three decades.

Both Kejriwal and Sisodia suffered poll losses. And Delhi got a new Chief Minister in Rekha Gupta.

This morning, however, things looked up again for the AAP leaders. 

A Special Court in the national capital discharged all 23 accused, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to the Court, the CBI attempted to construct a narrative of conspiracy, but its theory was based on mere conjecture rather than concrete evidence. The judge concluded that no prima facie case was made out against any of the 23 accused persons and ordered their discharge.

The Court also strongly criticised the investigative approach adopted by the agency, particularly its reliance on approver statements. 

It observed that granting a pardon to an accused, turning him into an approver, and then using his statements to fill gaps in the investigation or rope in additional accused was improper. The judge warned that permitting such conduct would amount to a grave violation of constitutional principles.