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Justice Sharma is dealing with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s revision plea against the discharge of 23 accused by a trial court in February in the agency’s case in the alleged liquor policy scam. (File Photo)
Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said Thursday she has taken cognisance of some “extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous and defamatory content” posted against her by some of the accused in the excise policy case, and will initiate contempt proceedings against them.
The development comes while the court was expected to appoint three senior advocates as amici curiae in the case, to represent AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, party leader Manish Sisodia, and former MLA Durgesh Pathak, who had earlier opted to go legally unrepresented before Justice Sharma.
While orally remarking that some senior advocates have been “gracious” to accept the request to represent the three AAP leaders, she did not disclose further details on the appointments.
“It has come to my notice that extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous, and defamatory material is being posted by some of the respondents against me and against this court… and some other contemnors. I cannot stay silent… My order is ready, I’ll be pronouncing it around 5 o’clock, and then only I will decide what I will do,” said Justice Sharma.
Justice Sharma is dealing with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s revision plea against the discharge of 23 accused by a trial court in February in the agency’s case in the alleged liquor policy scam.
In April, the three AAP leaders, in a letter purportedly sent to Justice Sharma, made public their decision to go legally unrepresented after she refused to recuse herself from hearing the CBI’s plea. Terming their decision a ‘satyagraha’ move, they objected to Justice Sharma’s alleged “public association with the RSS’s legal front Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad”, to which the AAP claims it is ideologically opposed.
They have also said that they apprehend bias if Justice Sharma hears the matter, given that her children are on the Union government’s advocates’ panels and are assigned cases by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mehta is appearing for CBI in the excise policy case before Justice Sharma at the HC.
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Kejriwal and five others had earlier sought the judge’s recusal, and, following arguments, including by Kejriwal, appearing in person, the court had refused the request, while lambasting the “aspersions, insinuations and doubts” cast on her by the accused.
While the court has been posting excise policy matters every week, on the previous two hearing dates, Justice Sharma was not available, as the court did not sit.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More
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