New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal versus Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma controversy took a fresh turn on Thursday.
The Delhi High Court judge said she would not hear the CBI’s appeal against the trial court order discharging former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and 22 others in the Delhi liquor policy case.
She said another bench would hear the excise policy matter to avoid any apprehension of bias.
The decision of Justice Sharma came after initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Kejriwal and four other party leaders for posting “vilifying and extremely contemptuous” material against her in social media.
Kejriwal had earlier asked Justice Sharma to recuse herself from the case, alleging conflict of interest and saying that he feared
bias and a lack of a fair hearing. But the latter refused to oblige.
On Thursday, she explained her decision to step aside from the main case.
“If I continue to hear the case after the contempt proceedings, these parties can say I have a personal grudge against them,” the judge observed.
“Arvind Kejriwal sought to destroy my reputation instead of availing legal remedies after I refused to recuse and a deliberate attempt to lower the court’s authority can’t be permitted in the guise of free speech,” Justice Sharma said.
Besides Kejriwal, the contempt proceedings were initiated against AAP’s Manish Sisodia, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj.
The judge said that the law does not permit a judge who has initiated contempt proceedings in relation to a matter to continue hearing that very matter.
“I reiterate that I stand by the recusal order… I had to stand up for this institution and I had. This case will be heard by any other bench and I will draw contempt proceedings because as per law the judge who draws contempt proceedings cannot hear the main case. Recusal stands as it is,” Justice Sharma clarified.