Delhi Excise Policy: 5 months, 17 months, and finally freedom: Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia cleared in Delhi excise case | Delhi News

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were acquitted on Friday in the Delhi excise policy case.Kejriwal spent around five months in jail in connection with the case, while Sisodia remained behind bars for around 17 months before securing bail.

The case, investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was linked to allegations surrounding the 2021-22 Delhi liquor policy. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also probed the matter under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The controversy centred on allegations that political leaders deliberately created loopholes in the now-scrapped excise policy to extend undue favours to certain licence holders. The investigation was initiated following a complaint by Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena.Timeline of Arrests And Custody

Meanwhile, the ED issued multiple summonses to Kejriwal between October 2023 and March 2024. On March 21, 2024, after the high court refused protection from arrest, the ED arrested him.How Arvind Kejriwal Spent His Time In JailFormer chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was sent to Tihar Jail after a court remanded him in judicial custody in the excise policy case, had spent most of his time meditating, reading books and practising yoga in his cell, sources had said at the time.Kejriwal had occupied a 14×8-foot room in general ward number 3 of Tihar, considered Asia’s largest jail.According to jail sources, he had spent the majority of his day reading books and engaging in yoga and meditation twice daily. “He did yoga and meditated for about one and a half hours each morning and evening,” an official source had said.He had been seen reading the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, along with How Prime Ministers Decide. “He was often seen reading these books and writing something while sitting on the chair in his cell,” the source had said.A jail official had said Kejriwal could also access books available in the prison library. However, at the time, he had not asked for any additional books.Despite having access to a television with 20 channels, he had reportedly shown little interest in watching it.Court-mandated provisions in his cell had included a table, chair, electric kettle, broom, bucket and cloth for cleaning. Surveillance cameras had monitored him round the clock, and a designated space outside his cell had allowed him to stretch and walk.Due to security measures, Kejriwal had not been permitted to interact with other inmates. “Whenever he went to meet his lawyer, which was daily, he was escorted by QRT personnel,” a source had said.He had received timely tea and home-cooked meals, and sources had added that he had not demanded anything beyond the prescribed facilities during his stay.