New Delhi, April 13: Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party and former Chief Minister of Delhi, informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that he is no longer an accused in the alleged corruption case linked to the now-repealed excise policy of 2021-22.
He emphasized that the trial court had already acquitted him due to a lack of evidence to substantiate the charges.
Presenting his case before Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, Kejriwal argued for the recusal of the judge from hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation’s revision petition. He pointed out that the trial court had issued a detailed order on February 27, acquitting him and other accused, concluding that no case existed against them.
Kejriwal contended that despite the acquittal, the Delhi High Court issued a unilateral order on March 9, partially staying the trial court’s findings after a brief hearing, which raised serious concerns about bias in his mind.
He expressed his distress upon receiving the order, stating, “My heart sank. I had serious doubts about whether I would receive justice.” He also mentioned that he had written to Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay requesting the transfer of the case.
Kejriwal argued that the principle governing recusal is not about whether a judge is actually biased, but rather whether a client has a reasonable apprehension of not receiving a fair hearing.
Referring to the March 9 order, he claimed that the trial court’s detailed conclusions were dismissed without hearing the respondents or reviewing the complete record. He noted that a 500-page order, passed after months of hearings, was effectively overturned in just 5-10 minutes.
He stressed that the trial court had recorded in its findings that there was no evidence of corruption or bribery, even commenting that the investigative approach suggested a predetermined outcome. The trial court reached conclusions that were entirely contrary to earlier comments, raising doubts in his mind about the fairness of the hearing.
During the proceedings, Justice Sharma repeatedly clarified that the current discussion was limited to the issue of the judge’s recusal, not the merits of the case. The judge asked, “What is your argument? Today, we are only hearing your points regarding the judge’s recusal.”
Kejriwal further argued that comments made by the Delhi High Court during bail and related hearings had effectively labeled him as guilty, although such remarks were unnecessary at that stage and were later overturned by the Supreme Court.
After hearing detailed arguments from all parties, the Delhi High Court reserved its decision on Kejriwal’s petition. The court instructed all parties to submit concise written arguments of three pages or less by Wednesday.
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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