AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia have asked the Delhi High Court to dismiss the CBI’s petition challenging their discharge in the liquor policy case, arguing that it was filed with “unprecedented haste” and in the “most unserious manner”.

In separate applications, the former Delhi Chief Minister and his deputy challenged the maintainability of the CBI’s revision petition and said they have been unable to discern the agency’s case against them.

“The CBI has preferred the present revision petition with unprecedented haste and in the most unserious manner. The present revision petition was filed only within four hours of the 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 judgment running into more than 500 pages,” the applications read.

The CBI’s petition at the High Court challenged the trial court’s February 27 decision. Justice Manoj Jain is scheduled to hear the petition on August 17 and 18.

In their applications, Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia argued that the trial court discharged all the accused after hearing the matter in detail for more than three months, but the CBI has not pointed out any specific finding that is “perverse” or shows any irregularity.

“The present petition is incomplete as it is without the material being relied upon and the specific averments in the order of discharge --- hence it is liable to be dismissed in its present form... It is clear from the present petition filed by the CBI that not a single paragraph out of 1,133 paragraphs of the discharge judgment is referred by the CBI to suggest the perversity in the order,” the applications said.

On February 27, the trial court discharged Mr. Kejriwal, Mr. Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case, ruling that it was wholly unable to survive judicial scrutiny and stood discredited in its entirety.

In its revision petition, the CBI said that the discharge order was patently illegal, perverse and suffered from errors.

Published - August 13, 2026 10:46 pm IST