Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia has written to Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, stating that he will not pursue the excise policy case in her court.
The move comes a day after party chief Arvind Kejriwal sent a similar letter, conveying his decision not to appear before Justice Sharma, either personally or through a lawyer, in the case.
Justice Sharma is set to hear a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea against the discharge of Kejriwal, Sisodia and others in the case. The AAP alleges a perceived conflict of interest arising from the empanelment of the judge’s children as Central government counsel, arguing that this created a reasonable apprehension of bias.
In the excise case, the central government is represented by senior lawyer Tushar Mehta.
In his letter to Justice Sharma, Sisodia wrote that the “future of your children lies in the hands of” Mehta, adding that he had “no hope for justice” and would instead follow the path of Satyagraha.
Kejriwal, in his letter, raised several objections to Justice Sharma hearing the CBI plea, noting that she had previously denied him relief on his petition challenging his arrest and had refused bail in the cases of other accused, including Manish Sisodia and K. Kavitha.
“My hope of receiving justice from Justice Swarana Kanta Ji has been shattered. Therefore, I have decided to follow the path of Gandhiji’s Satyagraha. Heeding the voice of my conscience, I have made this decision,” Kejriwal wrote.
Last week, the high court dismissed the petition filed by Kejriwal and others seeking Justice Sharma’s recusal from hearing the CBI plea.
The BJP, meanwhile, welcomed Justice Sharma’s decision not to recuse herself from hearing the case, saying it reaffirms judicial independence. The party also alleged that the AAP was attempting to run a “coordinated campaign” to exert pressure on the court.
