Delhi High Court may initiate contempt proceedings against accused in Excise Policy case

The Delhi High Court is likely to initiate contempt proceedings against certain accused in the ongoing excise policy case, as the matter involving former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others came up for hearing on Wednesday.

The court was hearing a revision plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging a discharge order passed in favour of Kejriwal and other accused persons.

Earlier, AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Durgesh Pathak had written to the court stating that they would not participate in the proceedings before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma and would remain unrepresented.

In his letter, Kejriwal said he had lost faith in receiving justice from the bench and would neither appear in person nor through legal counsel. Following this, Sisodia and Pathak also communicated similar positions to the court.

The judge had earlier rejected recusal pleas, stating that accepting such requests would set a “troubling precedent” and undermine judicial integrity. The court also observed that unfounded allegations of bias affect not only an individual judge but the credibility of the institution itself.

During the hearing, the court noted that efforts were being made to appoint amicus curiae to represent the accused leaders who had chosen to boycott the proceedings.

Senior law officers, including Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju for the Enforcement Directorate and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the CBI, were present during the hearing.

The matter is part of the ongoing legal proceedings in the Delhi excise policy case, which continues to see multiple judicial developments and political reactions.