In a significant escalation of the legal battle surrounding the Delhi excise policy case, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak have announced a boycott of proceedings currently before the Delhi High Court.
The move comes as the court prepares to hear a revision plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which seeks to overturn a previous order discharging the leaders in the high-profile case.
The Boycott and ‘Satyagraha’
The decision to go unrepresented was initiated by Arvind Kejriwal, who communicated his intent through a formal letter to Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. In the letter, Kejriwal expressed a total lack of confidence in the current judicial setup for this specific matter.
“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,” Kejriwal stated in his communication to the court.
Following the former Chief Minister’s lead, Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak also submitted letters informing the court that they would remain unrepresented during the proceedings. This collective boycott follows Justice Sharma’s earlier refusal to recuse herself from the case despite requests from the accused.
Judicial Integrity and the ‘Troubling Precedent’
Justice Sharma, while rejecting the plea for her recusal, offered a firm defense of judicial independence and the integrity of the court. She noted that stepping down based on the current applications would establish a “troubling precedent” for the legal system.
The judge emphasized that unfounded accusations of partiality do not merely target an individual judge but serve to “cast aspersions on the collective integrity of the institution of the judiciary itself.”
“The court will stand up for itself and for the institution when such standing is required, though it may appear difficult,” Justice Sharma remarked during the proceedings.
Despite the refusal of the AAP leaders to participate, the legal process regarding the CBI’s revision plea will move forward. To ensure that the legal requirements of the case are met and the interests of the accused are addressed in their absence, the Delhi High Court is likely to appoint amici curiae (friends of the court).
These independent legal experts will represent the positions of Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Pathak during the hearings, ensuring the court can proceed with the CBI’s challenge against the discharge order while maintaining procedural standards.
