A court in Delhi on Friday cleared Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the liquor policy case. The Rouse Avenue Court also discharged the case against senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia and 21 others.
The court said that the CBI chargesheet had several lacunae not supported by evidence.
"There was no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent in the excise policy," the court said.
The CBI was probing alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the previous AAP government's now-scrapped liquor policy.
Here is a timeline of events:
October 2023: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issues the first summons to Arvind Kejriwal, the then Delhi chief minister, in connection with the liquor policy case.
November 2, 2023: Kejriwal skips the first ED summons and attends a political rally in Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh.
December 2023: Kejriwal misses the second ED summons, dismissing it as "illegal and politically motivated".
January 2024: Kejriwal skips the third ED summons, alleging a conspiracy by the Centre.
January 18, 2024: ED issues a fourth summons, requiring Kejriwal to present himself for questioning.
February 2, 2024: Kejriwal skips the fifth ED summons and a subsequent sixth summons, with his legal team raising concerns about the legality of the summons.
March 16, 2024: A sessions court grants bail to Kejriwal on two complaints filed by the ED for failing to attend to summonses.
March 21, 2024: Kejriwal challenges the ED summonses in the Delhi High Court, which denies him protection from coercive action.
March 21, 2024: Kejriwal appeals to the Supreme Court for protection from coercive action.
March 21, 2024: After missing nine ED summonses, Kejriwal is arrested by ED.
May 10, 2024: Supreme Court grants interim bail to Kejriwal until June 1, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.
June 1, 2024: Kejriwal files for interim bail in a Delhi court.
June 2, 2024: Kejriwal surrenders at Tihar Jail as per the Supreme Court's order.
June 5, 2024: Delhi court denies Kejriwal's plea for interim bail on medical grounds.
June 20, 2024: Delhi court grants regular bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case.
June 21, 2024: ED appeals to the Delhi High Court, which blocks Kejriwal's release.
June 26, 2024: Kejriwal is arrested by CBI.
September 5, 2024: Supreme Court reserves its verdict on Kejriwal's bail petitions, challenging his arrest and the denial of bail by the Delhi High Court.
September 13, 2024: Supreme Court delivers its verdict, granting bail to Kejriwal.
January 22, 2026: Delhi court acquits him in the two ED cases.
February 27, 2026: Delhi court gives a clean chit to Kejriwal.
