Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal was acquitted on Friday in a long-running corruption case linked to liquor license allocations, ending months of legal battles that he and his supporters had described as political conspiracy.
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Kejriwal, 57, who spent several months in jail following his March 2024 arrest, appeared emotional outside court, telling reporters, “Truth has won.” He accused Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of orchestrating a “political conspiracy” aimed at dismantling his party, the AAP. Alongside Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others were cleared of all charges.
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The case had shadowed Kejriwal’s political career, particularly during the 2025 elections, when the AAP lost power in Delhi. Rekha Gupta, representing Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected as the new chief minister of India’s capital, a megacity with a population exceeding 30 million.
Kejriwal, who rose to national prominence as an anti-corruption activist after leaving his civil service job, has frequently clashed with the Modi government. Critics say the legal proceedings against him were part of a broader trend of criminal investigations targeting political opponents, including other state chief ministers.
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In August 2025, the government passed a controversial bill allowing the removal of politicians arrested for 30 days, a move opponents described as undermining constitutional safeguards.
Friday’s verdict marks a significant legal victory for Kejriwal and the AAP, potentially reinvigorating the party as it seeks to challenge the BJP in upcoming elections, while reinforcing Kejriwal’s long-standing claims of political targeting.