Emotional scenes unfolded at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, 95 Lodhi Estate in Delhi as he returned from Tihar Jail on Friday.
The AAP national convener celebrated with his wife Sunita Kejriwal, other family members after Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court discharged him and party leader Manish Sisodia in an excise policy-related corruption case, refusing to take cognizance of the CBI chargesheet.
Sunita Kejriwal welcomed her husband by showering petals. The picture captured at the site showed a visibly emotional Arvind Kejriwal – his expressions reflecting the weight of the moment as the AAP convener and his wife shared a heartfelt exchange.
Moments before the photo
The photo was taken shortly after Kejriwal was given a clean chit in the liquor policy case and returned home after being jailed for six months. The 57-year-old appeared overwhelmed, struggling to find words as his voice broke under the weight of emotion.
Kejriwal broke down and said the corruption case against him was the “biggest political conspiracy” in the history of Independent India, reported PTI.
A special CBI court, while dismissing the CBI and ED cases in the Delhi liquor policy, questioned the conduct of the two investigating agencies for relying solely on the statements of approvers who had been granted pardons in the cases.
“Investigation appears to have proceeded on a predetermined trajectory, implicating virtually every person associated with the formulation or implementation of the policy in order to lend an illusion of depth and credibility to an otherwise fragile narrative,” the court said in its 598-page judgment.
What was the liquor policy case?
The case in question dates back to 2022.
In 2021, the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal rolled out a new excise policy – ​​that sought to privatize the trade, boost state revenue and improve the overall consumer experience, with then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tasked with overseeing the excise department.
However, in July 2022, the Delhi Chief Secretary flagged alleged irregularities in a report, claiming that AAP officials had accepted bribes and offered undue favors to certain private players, including waiving or reducing license fees, mentioned a report by India Today.
Following these allegations, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the matter, after which the policy was eventually scrapped.
The CBI filed its first chargesheet in 2022, followed by multiple supplementary chargesheets. The agency has alleged that ₹100 crore was paid by a “south lobby” to influence the policy in its favour.
Where was the photo taken?
The photo was taken by news wire PTI at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence – 95 Lodhi Estate in New Delhi.
