Delhi HC Defers ED Plea on Excise Policy Discharge Remarks

The Delhi High Court on Thursday deferred a hearing on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking to remove adverse observations made against it in a trial court's order discharging all accused, including Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, in the corruption case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted respondents, including Kejriwal and Sisodia, a final opportunity to file their replies, warning that failure to do so by the next hearing on April 22 would close their right to respond, allowing the matter to proceed without further input from them.

The Enforcement Directorate's petition challenges specific remarks in the Rouse Avenue Court's February 27 order, which discharged 23 individuals in the Central Bureau of Investigation's case alleging irregularities in the 2021-22 excise policy. The trial court found no prima facie case of corruption, stating the prosecution's material did not raise grave suspicion against the accused and criticizing the Central Bureau of Investigation for gaps in evidence, including a lack of witness statements. Although the Enforcement Directorate was not a party to those...