Can those in power at the Centre implicate their political opponents in cases and get them arrested even without any evidence? Can they turn their political lives upside down? The answer now appears to be yes. The orders issued on Friday by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi in the Delhi liquor scam case, which created a sensation across the country, have once again brought this discussion to the forefront. Because of this case, for the first time in the country, a sitting Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested and had to spend several months in jail. Not only that, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also had to face defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections. It is known that whenever allegations of scams arise against those in power in any state, they try to dismiss them as political allegations. Whatever anyone may say, it is ultimately the courts that have to decide these matters. There are also some leaders who manage their affairs in such a way that they do not get caught by the law. However, the points mentioned in the Rouse Avenue Court’s orders regarding the Delhi liquor scam have now become extremely crucial.
The court made it clear that the CBI could not present any evidence against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as well as former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The court expressed anger at the CBI, stating that their names were included in the case without any proper evidence. Therefore, the court dismissed the cases registered against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister KCR. A total of 23 people who were charged in the Delhi liquor scam were discharged from the case. The court expressed serious displeasure at the manner in which the CBI conducted the investigation. It said that what should be investigated is the conduct of the CBI officials in this case. The court stated that there was no evidence regarding the cases registered against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Kavitha and others, and that the CBI alleged a conspiracy based merely on assumptions. According to the court’s orders, there is discussion that it appears clear that the CBI implicated a Chief Minister, a Deputy Chief Minister, and key AAP leaders in this case.
On the other hand, the CBI has said that it will appeal the Rouse Avenue Court’s verdict in the High Court, stating that the trial court did not take into consideration aspects of their investigation. Arvind Kejriwal also responded to this. He mocked, asking what evidence they would present in the High Court or the Supreme Court that they could not present before the trial court. Speaking to the media after the Rouse Avenue Court’s verdict, Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah got these cases filed against them purely to target them politically. He said that the court’s verdict has brought this to light. He urged that such actions should not be carried out to topple governments. He said the verdict proved that they are honest, and thanked the court for upholding justice. Speaking to the media, Arvind Kejriwal became emotional and teared up. At that time, senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia consoled him.