Delhi HC to listen to excise case, contempt proceedings towards Kejriwal in the present day
Days after justice Swarana Kanta Sharma initiated prison contempt proceedings towards former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and different Aam Aadmi Get together (AAP) leaders and withdrew herself from listening to associated issues, two separate benches of the Delhi Excessive Court docket are scheduled to listen to the circumstances on Tuesday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI’s) attraction towards the trial court docket’s February 27 order discharging Kejriwal and others within the Delhi excise coverage case shall be heard by a bench headed by justice Manoj Jain, whereas the prison contempt proceedings shall be heard by a division bench comprising justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja.
The matter started on February 27 when a trial court docket discharged Kejriwal and others within the excise coverage case. The CBI later challenged the in Delhi Excessive Court docket.
On March 9, justice Sharma stayed the trial court docket’s course for departmental motion towards a CBI officer and deferred Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceedings. Kejriwal later sought switch of the matter, which was rejected by chief justice DK Upadhyaya on March 13.
On April 5, Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others sought justice Sharma’s recusal from the case, which was dismissed on April 20. On April 27, Kejriwal knowledgeable the choose that he would boycott the proceedings.Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak additionally despatched related letters.
On Could 5, the court docket determined to nominate senior advocates as amicus curiae to signify the three leaders, however the matter was deferred on three events.
On Thursday, the choose initiated contempt proceedings towards Kejriwal, Sisodia, Pathak, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj over allegedly defamatory and contemptuous social media content material towards the choose.
She then withdrew herself from the case, stating {that a} choose initiating contempt proceedings couldn’t proceed listening to the identical case. Nevertheless, she clarified that her earlier April 20 order refusing to recuse from the excise coverage case stands.
Justice Sharma mentioned that after the recusal plea was rejected, Kejriwal adopted a course of “vilification” and “intimidation.” The choose noticed that as a substitute of difficult the order earlier than the Supreme Court docket, Kejriwal issued a letter boycotting the proceedings and launched a video allegedly making false allegations towards her.
She mentioned his actions sought to sow mistrust among the many public towards her, attribute political affect and lack of judicial independence to the court docket, and undermine its authority.
