In his letter to the court, Arvind Kejriwal said he had lost faith in receiving justice from the bench and conveyed that he would neither appear in person nor be represented through counsel. (File image)
Excise Policy Case Hearing Live Updates: The Delhi High Court will resume hearing the revision plea filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the discharge order passed in favour of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in the excise policy case. It will also hear ED’s plea seeking the expunging of adverse remarks made by the special judge against the agency.
On the last date of hearing, the court had said that it will appoint three seniors (advocates) as amicus curiae to represent Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, who have decided to boycott the proceedings pending before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
Story continues below this ad
Boycott: Kejriwal had written a letter to Justice Sharma, saying that he will not participate in the proceedings pending before the judge. “I have lost hope of getting justice from Justice Swarana Kanta. Therefore, I have decided to follow the path of Satyagraha as shown by Mahatma Gandhi,” he said. After Kejriwal, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak also wrote to Justice Sharma informing that they too will go unrepresented before her court. Justice Sharma had earlier refused to recuse herself from hearing CBI’s plea.
Recusal plea: While rejecting the recusal plea, Justice Sharma said, “If I were to accept these (recusal) applications, it would set a troubling precedent”. She also said that every unproven and unfounded accusation of bias or partiality is not merely put on an individual judge but also casts aspersions on the collective integrity of the institution of the judiciary itself. The judge said that the court will stand up for itself and for the institution when such standing is required, though it may appear difficult.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
