Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia have approached the Delhi High Court seeking dismissal of the plea filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against their discharge in the corruption case related to the alleged liquor policy scam.

The AAP leaders have filed their applications in the CBI's criminal revision petition which is pending adjudication before a single bench of Justice Manoj Jain.

Raising preliminary objection to the maintainability of the revision petition, the politicians have contended that the plea was filed within four hours of the trial court's order discharging them.

As per them, the said move was done with unprecedented haste and in the most unserious manner.

They have argued that the revision plea fails to confer to the norms or mandate as per the law and also in accordance with the various dictums of the Supreme Court and various High Courts.

“It was under these circumstances the CBI has preferred the present Revision Petition with unprecedented haste and in the most unserious manner. That the present revision petition was filed only within 4 hours of passing of the order of discharge by the Ld. Special Judge- which manifestly shows non appreciation of the findings of the Ld. Special Judge in the discharge judgement running into more than 500 pages,” the plea states.

Calling it an omnibus petition, it has been submitted that the CBI has failed to even plead against each accused person specifically - as to how the discharge order is an order passed without any evidence or that material evidence is ignored qua the specific accused.

It has been added that CBI has failed to produce any evidence, material or documents in the revision petition to show the perversity in the order of discharge.

“That due to filing of such bare-shell , omnibus and non-specific Petition- a grave prejudice is caused to the Respondent as Respondent herein is unable to discern the case it has to meet in the present Revision Petition. Thus if such a petition is held to maintainable – a grave prejudice will be caused to the respondent herein,” the plea says.

On February 27, the trial court discharged all the 23 accused persons in the case, including political leaders Kejriwal, Sisodia and K Kavitha. The trial court had also severely criticised the CBI's investigation in the case. CBI filed its revision petition the same day.

It may be noted that the case had become politically controversial, as Kejriwal was arrested and remanded to the custody amidst the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court after 156 days of custody. AAP leader Manish Sisodia also spent 530 days in custody in the case.

Case Title: CBI v. Kuldeep Singh & Ors