Kapil Sibal slammed the CBI for deliberately prolonging investigations without evidence, calling it a political ploy for the BJP. Citing the discharge of Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, he demanded accountability for the time he spent in jail.
Kapil Sibal Slams CBI Over 'Politically Motivated' Probes
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for deliberately prolonging the investigations while being aware even when they are aware that no evidence exists to secure a conviction, following the discharge of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case yesterday. Sibal accused the agency of targeting whoever they want and dragging the probe as a political ploy for the benefit of Bharatiya Janata Party, citing the cases against Congress leader P Chidambaram as an example of his claim.
Speaking at a press conference, Sibal said, "The CBI investigations keep prolonging with no conclusions. They make people accused one after the other whom they want... The investigation goes on, and people remain in jail for years. And then, of course, nothing happens in the case. What has happened in the case against Chidambaram? Nothing."
Demands Accountability for AAP Leaders' Jail Time
Highlighting the time spent in jail by Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, he asked for accountability in the situation. "The court acquitted Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and others, including K. Kavitha, on 27 February. Now I want to ask the government that Kejriwal spent 126 days in jail and Manish Sisodia spent 503 days in jail -- who will compensate for this? Who should be held accountable? They claimed it was a Rs 100 crore scam, yet no recovery was made, and no financial transactions were established in the case," he said.
He alleged that CBI's actions are politically-motivated, claiming that this is done to ensure that the BJP comes victorious. "They have nothing, and their thinking is political, that the government has to be overthrown. The BJP has to win," he claimed.
Rouse Avenue Court Discharges Kejriwal, Others
A day earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court discharged Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the CBI's Delhi excise policy case, which originated from allegations of corruption in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The CBI had alleged that the policy was framed to benefit certain private liquor licensees by allegedly reducing licence fees and fixing profit margins, resulting in kickbacks and financial loss to the Delhi government. The FIR was registered by the CBI in August 2022 following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. According to the agency, a criminal conspiracy was allegedly hatched at the stage of policy formulation, with deliberate loopholes introduced to favour select entities after the tender process.
Court Critical of CBI's 'Conjecture-Based' Theory
The court was critical of the investigative approach adopted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), observing that the agency's theory was based on conjectures rather than admissible evidence. It also cautioned against the use of approver statements to fill gaps in the prosecution's case and recommended a departmental inquiry against certain CBI officials.
CBI Challenges Discharge in Delhi High Court
Meanwhile, the CBI has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the discharge order and is seeking to have it set aside, keeping the legal battle alive.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)