An ex-chief minister of Delhi, India, was acquitted by a court on Friday in a corruption case that he had labeled as a “political plot” by the ruling party. Arvind Kejriwal, a leader of the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former chief minister of Delhi, faced legal troubles during his tenure but was cleared by the court along with his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others of all accusations.
Kejriwal, aged 57, had been arrested in March 2024 on charges of his government receiving kickbacks in liquor license allocations, leading to his imprisonment. Expressing relief after the verdict, Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating a “political conspiracy” to undermine AAP.
Following his electoral defeat in 2025 amid ongoing legal battles, Rekha Gupta from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party assumed the role of chief minister of Delhi. Kejriwal, a former tax collector who gained national recognition for his anti-corruption activism, has consistently refuted any allegations of misconduct throughout his career.
The incident is part of a broader trend where several of Modi’s political adversaries, including state chief ministers, have been embroiled in legal proceedings in recent years. In a move criticized by opponents as an attempt to erode constitutional protections, the government introduced a bill in August 2025 aimed at disqualifying politicians who are arrested and detained for a period exceeding 30 days.
