Indian court acquits former Delhi chief minister among 23 in corruption case

NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A local court in the Indian capital New Delhi on Friday discharged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the already scrapped excise policy case, officials said.

The special court refused to accept the chargesheet submitted by India's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing a lack of evidence and significant gaps in the inquiry. The court held that the chargesheet was not supported by adequate material to justify proceeding to trial.

The court pointed to "misleading averments" in the chargesheet and noted that the voluminous document contained multiple gaps that were not corroborated by evidence or witness testimony.

Investigations into the Delhi excise policy case began in August 2022 when the CBI accused the Delhi government of using the policy to favor certain liquor dealers who had allegedly paid bribes. The policy was subsequently scrapped. ■