Arvind Kejriwal will boycott excise case hearings before Delhi HC judge Swarana Kanta Sharma, citing concerns over justice perception and potential conflict of interest

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal has decided to boycott excise case hearings before Delhi HC judge Swarana Kanta Sharma. In a four-page letter to judge Sharma, the AAP chief and former Delhi CM said he would not participate in the proceedings before her related to excise policy case, neither in person nor through his lawyer.Kejriwal’s reason is that he has come to the “clear conclusion that the proceedings being conducted in her court do not satisfy the fundamental principle that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done”. His decision came days after the judge rejected his plea seeking her recusal from hearing the liquor policy case. “My hope of receiving justice from Justice Swarnkanta Sharma Ji has been shattered. Listening to my conscience, adhering to the principles of Gandhi ji, and with the spirit of Satyagraha, I’ve decided I will not appear before her in this case and will not present any arguments either,” said Kejriwal in an X post. A special court acquitted the former CM, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others in an excise policy corruption case on February 27. In a video released through his X account, Kejriwal said, ” The CBI immediately challenged this decision in the high court, and the case came before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. At that point, a serious question arose in my mind, whether I would receive justice before her. There are several reasons why this question arose, but two are the main ones.“ Explaining his first reason, Kejriwal stated that Justice Sharma has “repeatedly attended events of Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad”, an organisation linked to RSS, and “the govt of the RSS ideology imprisoned me through false allegations”. The second reason, he said, was conflict of interest. “In court, the CBI of the central government stands against me, and both children of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma work for the central govt. Both her children are on the panel of lawyers for the central govt. On the other side in court stands Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. He assigns cases to both her children. He decides how many cases they will get and which cases they will receive,” Kejriwal said, adding that, “there are around 700 lawyers on the Govt of India panel, but the son of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma is among those who received the highest number of cases.“ The AAP chief said in future he would have no hesitation in appearing before her in any of his cases, “provided the BJP, Centre or Tushar Mehta are not opposing me”. The former Delhi CM stressed that he has “complete faith in the judiciary” and added that he holds Justice Sharma in high regard and has no personal objection of any kind against her or her family. “When I was arrested in a false case, it was this judiciary that granted me bail. It is this same judiciary that has declared me innocent in that false case,” Kejriwal said, adding he has cooperated with the judiciary in this case so far. He said the judge “rejected my arguments” and ruled she herself would hear the case. “The easiest path before me today is to accept her order and engage a senior lawyer to argue my case before her. But this issue is no longer only about my case. It concerns the trust of ordinary people in the justice system,” said Kejriwal.He said following the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi, and in the spirit of Satyagraha, he has decided to not appear personally in the court of Justice Sharma, nor would any lawyer appear on his behalf. Kejriwal said whatever judgment she delivers, he will remain free to exercise his legal rights, including challenging it in SC.He added he was preparing to approach the apex court against Justice Sharma’s refusal to recuse herself from the excise case.Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said Kejriwal had no respect or trust in the judiciary, and was “engaging in political theatrics over the liquor case, and after losing his judicial appeal in Delhi High Court, he is now crossing all limits of propriety by making personal allegations against the judge”.CM Rekha Gupta said Kejriwal’s conduct suggests he is “acting as his own lawyer, witness and judge”.“If he alone decides everything, what role is left for the judicial system? Repeatedly questioning judicial institutions and casting doubts on constitutional processes appear to have become part of his political style. Refusing to appear in court while publicly levelling allegations against a judge is not only inappropriate, but also undermines the dignity of the judiciary,” she said, adding, “When a chargesheet has already been filed in a serious case, seeking a change of judge or court on the grounds that the verdict may go against him raises serious questions about intent.”