A Delhi court has formally closed a long-standing corruption case against Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stated it could not find any incriminating evidence.

The case, filed in 2018, was related to allegations that Jain and several officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) improperly appointed professionals during his tenure as PWD Minister. However, the court accepted the CBI’s closure report, noting that there was no evidence to proceed under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Judge Vinay Singh at the Rouse Avenue Court remarked that no material had been produced that indicated wrongdoing or a criminal conspiracy. “In the absence of any evidence or required sanction, the closure report is accepted,” the court said, adding that even a strong suspicion was lacking.

The CBI informed the court that after nearly four years of inquiry, it could not establish that any of the accused had misused authority, obtained undue benefits, or caused financial loss to the government. At worst, the agency said, the matter involved administrative lapses rather than criminal activity.

The complaint, initially raised by Delhi’s Directorate of Vigilance, accused Jain and PWD staff of bypassing standard hiring procedures by forming a special “Creative Team” of consultants. It also alleged that funds were diverted for unrelated projects—such as the Barapulla Phase-III—without necessary clearance from the Finance Department.

But the court held that there was no foundation for charges under Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, nor for invoking criminal conspiracy.

Kejriwal Reacts: “Is This Justice?”

Following the verdict, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the case’s closure vindicated the party’s long-standing claim of being targeted unfairly. Taking to social media, Kejriwal slammed the system for allowing such cases to be filed and later dropped without accountability.

“All these cases against AAP leaders are fabricated. Eventually, the truth will come out in each one,” he said in a post in Hindi. “We were falsely imprisoned. Shouldn’t the people who made these baseless allegations and misused power be held responsible?”

Kejriwal also questioned the impact of such cases on the personal lives of those accused. “We and our families suffered immense stress. When they wanted, they jailed us. Now, they file a ‘closure report’ just like that? What about justice for us?”

Several AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Saurabh Bhardwaj, have faced corruption allegations in recent years—most notably in the alleged excise policy scandal. While investigations continue in some cases, courts have granted bail to many of the accused, often citing delays in prosecution and lack of progress in the investigation.