Supreme Court said that the CBI charge sheet was not supported by any witness or any statement (place: India) is not accurate. Criticism of chargesheet gaps and witness support came from the Rouse Avenue trial court, not Supreme Court per all sources.
Why we say that›
Kejriwal and Sisodia were cleared in the excise case after months in jail, but the reel overstates 'zero evidence' claims and frames it as proven political persecution of democracy.
Core facts on jail time (approx. 5-6 and 17 months), multiple bail denials, eventual discharge/clearance, low ED conviction rate, and the mistaken-identity couple case are supported by news reports. However, the central thesis leaps to 'absolutely zero material evidence' by CBI/ED, attributes explicit Supreme Court endorsement of that for CBI (it was a trial court on procedural gaps and hearsay), and presents process-as-punishment/fear-as-governance as normalized without counter-evidence on case merits.
The 'zero evidence' characterization and Supreme Court attribution come from a trial court ruling on procedural lapses and hearsay rather than a full merits trial or explicit SC finding of fabricated evidence.
Reported 14 Aug 2026
Claims
1 false · 2 true · 8 unchecked
- False
Supreme Court said that the CBI charge sheet was not supported by any witness or any statement (place: India)
What's actually true
Criticism of chargesheet gaps and witness support came from the Rouse Avenue trial court, not Supreme Court per all sources.
- Couldn't check
A sitting chief minister of India's national capital was jailed for 6 months before elections (time: one year ago before elections) (place: India's national capital)
What's actually true
Kejriwal arrested Feb 2024, spent ~5 months in jail before 2025 elections. '6 months' and 'one year ago' are close enough approximations per notes.
- Couldn't check
Sitting deputy chief minister jailed for 17 months (time: one year ago before elections) (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
Sisodia jailed ~17 months from Feb 2023 arrest. Timeline aligns with pre-2025 election period.
- Couldn't check
Both were denied bails multiple times (time: one year ago before elections) (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
Multiple bail applications denied for both before eventual relief, per court journey records.
- Couldn't check
CBI had absolutely zero material evidence in the case against Kejriwal and Sisodia (time: one year ago before elections) (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
Trial court found no prima facie case, significant gaps, hearsay, and lack of cogent support for chargesheet. Not literally 'absolutely zero' or from Supreme Court.
- Couldn't check
ED had absolutely zero material evidence (time: one year ago before elections) (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
No sources or court findings state ED had zero evidence. Notes explicitly found no matching quote or ruling.
- Couldn't check
0.1% Conviction in Corruption Cases Filed By Probe Agency ED Since 2015 (time: Since 2015) (place: India)
What's actually true
We couldn't verify this claim with a reliable source. NDTV and others report exactly 0.1% (8 of 5,892 cases) convicted. Overall rate vs. Completed trials distinction noted but does not invert the statistic.
- Couldn't check
A hard working Delhi couple running a small garment shop had their ICICI bank account frozen by ED with no court order and no notice (time: A few years ago) (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
We couldn't verify this claim with a reliable source. Indian Express reports ED froze accounts in mistaken identity case. 'no court order/no notice' and garment shop details align with the reel framing.
- Couldn't check
Delhi couple whose accounts were frozen by ED in 'mistaken identity' case (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
We couldn't verify this claim with a reliable source. Directly matches Indian Express headline and reporting.
- True
Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia cleared in Delhi excise case (place: Delhi)
What's actually true
Both discharged/acquitted by court in Feb 2026 per multiple reports.
- True
Jailed for 17 months (place: Delhi)
The full story, from the sources›
On February 26, 2026, the Rouse Avenue Court discharged Kejriwal... noting the accusations were not supported by sufficient material... CBI chargesheet... included material which did not support any of the witness statements. The Court said that the CBI failed to make out a prima facie case against the accused... Kejriwal was implicated without any cogent material. - Source Delhi couple whose accounts were frozen by ED in ‘mistaken identity’ case... ‘Today it was us, tomorrow it can be any other innocent person’... It was because of the whims. - The Indian Express Mr Sisodia has been in jail for more than 17 months in a case related to alleged irregularities in a now-scrapped liquor policy. - BBC (2024-08-09) Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi liquor policy scam in February 2023... After 17 months of incarceration... granted bail. - SCObserver (2024-08-12) Only eight or 0.1 per cent of 5,892 cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the anti-money laundering law between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2025, have led to convictions. - NDTV (2025-07-30)
From reporting
What else it leaves out (3)›
- ED's separate money-laundering case against the leaders is not addressed. Discharge was in the CBI excise policy matter only.
- Low 0.1% ED conviction rate is for all filed cases. Among cases that reach trial completion, government data shows much higher conviction rates (~94%).
- The couple's account freeze was later corrected as mistaken identity with remedial action reported, not presented as part of a proven pattern of deliberate abuse.
How it's framed (2)›
Sources (8)›
Kejriwal spent around five months in jail in connection with the case. Sisodia remained behind bars for around 17 months before securing bail... were acquitted on Friday in the Delhi excise policy case.
Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi liquor policy scam in February 2023... After 17 months of incarceration... granted bail.
Mr Sisodia has been in jail for more than 17 months in a case related to alleged irregularities in a now-scrapped liquor policy.
discharged... refusing to take cognisance of the CBI chargesheet... relied on hearsay evidence, had major procedural lapses.
the CBI’s voluminous chargesheet contained significant gaps and lacked support from witness statements or evidence... no prima facie case.
On February 26, 2026, the Rouse Avenue Court discharged Kejriwal... noting the accusations were not supported by sufficient material... CBI chargesheet... included material which did not support any of the witness statements. The Court said that the CBI failed to make out a prima facie case against the accused... Kejriwal was implicated without any cogent material.
Only eight or 0.1 per cent of 5,892 cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the anti-money laundering law between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2025, have led to convictions.
Delhi couple whose accounts were frozen by ED in ‘mistaken identity’ case... ‘Today it was us, tomorrow it can be any other innocent person’... It was because of the whims.
About this account›
- Naman Shrivastava is Convener of Azad Parliament with prior UN/GOI affiliations and heads MisFits Foundation; content frequently critiques central government actions.
Notes on this check (12)›
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "A sitting chief minister of India's national capital was …" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 3 support citation(s) for "Sitting deputy chief minister jailed for 17 months (time:…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "Both were denied bails multiple times (time: one year ago…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 3 support citation(s) for "CBI had absolutely zero material evidence in the case aga…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped contradiction citations for "CBI had absolutely zero material evidence in the case aga…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 1 contradiction citation(s) for "Supreme Court said that the CBI charge sheet was not supp…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped contradiction citations for "ED had absolutely zero material evidence (time: one year …" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia cleared in Delhi excise c…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "Jailed for 17 months (place: Delhi)" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 1 support citation(s) for "0.1% Conviction in Corruption Cases Filed By Probe Agency…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 1 support citation(s) for "A hard working Delhi couple running a small garment shop …" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "Delhi couple whose accounts were frozen by ED in 'mistake…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
Checked against 3 sources · 14 Aug 2026
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