Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma To Initiate Contempt Proceedings Against 'Some Persons' Over 'Defamatory' Post Against Her

The Delhi High Court on Thursday warned of initiating contempt proceedings against several individuals connected to the Delhi excise policy case, after deeply offensive and defamatory content was posted against the presiding judge online.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the announcement just as she was preparing to hear the Central Bureau of Investigation's petition challenging a trial court's decision to discharge all accused in the alleged liquor policy scam.

The judge informed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that while she had been preparing to name three senior advocates as amicus curiae, she discovered that highly objectionable content had been published against her by certain respondents. She stated that silence was no longer an option and that a detailed order would follow at 5 PM.

The controversy stems from Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Durgesh Pathak choosing to boycott proceedings after Justice Sharma declined to recuse herself on grounds of alleged bias.

In February, a trial court had cleared all 23 accused, including Kejriwal, Sisodia, and K Kavitha, while sharply criticising the CBI's investigative conduct. The CBI subsequently challenged this ruling before Justice Sharma, who in March indicated the trial court's observations appeared flawed.

The case has been politically charged since Kejriwal's arrest during the 2024 general elections. He was later released on bail by the Supreme Court after 156 days in custody, while Sisodia spent 530 days behind bars. The Delhi excise policy, introduced in 2021 to overhaul liquor trade, was scrapped following corruption allegations and an LG-ordered CBI probe.