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Delivers Historic Clean Sweep: Discharges All 23 Excise Policy Accused, Slams for "South Group" Label
In a landmark 549-page verdict, a
on
, discharged all 23 accused—including
leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia,
MLC K. Kavitha, and several businessmen—in the high-profile
case alleging corruption in the
. Special Judge Jitendra Singh of
ruled there was
"no
of corruption or conspiracy,"
dismantling the agency's narrative of upfront bribes, policy manipulation, and hawala-funded Goa elections.
The decision, reserved since , marks a stinging rebuke to the 's sprawling investigation spanning five charge-sheets.
From Policy Overhaul to Prosecution Dragnet: The Explosive Backdrop
The DEP-21/22, notified amid COVID-19 fiscal pressures, privatized Delhi's ₹45,000 crore liquor trade to boost revenue from fees and curb cartelization. It replaced a flawed old regime—plagued by manufacturer control, spurious liquor, and 65% illicit margins—with strict separations between manufacturers, wholesalers (L-1 licensees), and retailers, a 12% wholesale margin cap, anti-proxy rules, and e-auctions for 32 zones.
A complaint in triggered 's FIR (RC0032022A0053), alleging ₹100 crore kickbacks to leaders for policy tweaks favoring a "South Group." later invoked . Accusations snowballed: fabricated feedback, missing files, hawala to Goa (₹45 crore), and sham deals. Politicos like Sisodia (A-8) faced bribery charges; businessmen like Sameer Mahendru (A-7) cartel raps.
As other sources noted, the case gripped headlines, pitting / against in courtroom battles over bail and arrests.
's Sprawling Web: Policy Twist, Bribes, and Ballot Bucks?
argued a "calibrated conspiracy" from Sisodia's desk: ignoring Ravi Dhawan Committee's government wholesale push, inflating margins (5% to 12%), proxy inducers, and ₹100 crore upfronts via Vijay Nair (A-3) for 's Goa push. Key pillars: manipulated LG inputs, "South Group" drafts, , Dinesh Arora's (PW-20) saga, and ₹45 crore Goa trail.
Charge-sheets painted a chain: Kavitha's (A-17) "South" lobby pays Maguntas (PW-225/226); Indospirits (A-7/A-5) grabs L-1 license via bribes; ₹29 crore "recouped"; cash hops Delhi-Goa via angadiyas to A-16 Rayat.
Defence fired back: Policy evolved transparently—LG consulted, Cabinet-approved, no monopoly favors. No bribes recovered, tales uncorroborated, pautis inadmissible (V.C. Shukla precedent). "South Group" tag? Arbitrary, prejudicial—no "North Group" for Delhiites.
"No ": Court's Razor-Sharp Dissection of 's Case
Judge Singh methodically shredded the edifice. DEP-21/22? Legitimate reform addressing old flaws—proxy bans, barcoding, auctions. Drafts iterated rationally; 12% cap restricted margins vs. uncapped prior regime. No "abrupt hikes"—evolution from Dhawan report to final policy.
Bribes? Zero recoveries. Arora's (PW-20) flip-flops—seven statements post-pardon—flagged as suspect. " " post-pardon ring hollow amid bail perks.
Hawala? Angadiya "pautis"—loose pencil scribbles—echoed ; inadmissible sans status. No serial-matched notes, no bank trails.
Goa? Party funding's turf, not 's. No proof A-19 Pathak orchestrated illicit cash.
Policy tweaks? Institutional trail intact—files LG-vetted, not "vanished."
"South Group" Smackdown: Court's Fury at Regional Bias
In a rare judicial broadside, the court torched
's "South Group" moniker for Kavitha-linked accused:
"Plainly arbitrary... carries a
... risks appealing to bias rather than reason."
Citing
, it warned:
"
must rest on conduct proved by evidence, not on who the accused is or where he comes from."
Key Observations from the Bench
"The criminal process undoubtedly vests wide... When exercised mechanically, selectively or with an, this power ceases to operate as an aid to justice and instead undermines both the fairness of the process..."
"Once the alleged foundational acts... are found to be devoid of evidentiary support, the superstructure of conspiracy necessarily collapses."
"is a constitutional mandate that restrains the exercise of State power..."
On approvers: Slammed repeated statements post-164 confession as eroding sanctity.
Unrelied docs: Urged reasons for segregation to prevent cherry-picking.
Verdict's Ripple: Policy Immunity, Probe Guardrails
All 23 discharged—no " ." Implications? Policy tweaks get breathing room sans corruption proof. / warned: Stick to evidence, shun labels. For elections, reigns supreme.
As LiveLaw reported, the court rapped 's "South Group" tag as "arbitrary," urging neutral lingo. A win for accused, a reality check for probes blurring policy with crime.
Delhi's booze bazaar saga ends—not with a bang, but judicial clarity.
