Arvind Kejriwal Files Application In Delhi High Court Seeking Recusal Of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma From Liquor Policy Case

Key Insight

Kejriwal moves to recuse Delhi HC judge, spotlighting judicial impartiality in liquor‑policy scam

Key Facts

1. Arvind Kejriwal filed an application in Delhi High Court on 5 April 2026 seeking the recusal of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma from the CBI’s petition in the liquor‑policy case.
2. The petition challenges the trial court’s 27 February 2024 order that discharged 23 accused, including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha, and criticised the CBI investigation.
3. Kejriwal earlier wrote to the Chief Justice for a transfer of the case; the High Court Registry rejected it, leading to a Supreme Court petition under Article 32 of the Constitution.
4. The excise policy, framed in 2021 to privatise Delhi’s liquor trade, was withdrawn after Lt‑Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena ordered a CBI probe alleging loss of public revenue.
5. Justice Sharma, who earlier denied bail to several accused, observed on 9 March 2024 that the trial court’s findings were “prima facie erroneous”.
6. Kejriwal’s arrest on 26 June 2024 by the CBI (while in ED custody for a money‑laundering case) and Sisodia’s 530‑day detention made the case politically sensitive during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Background

The request for judicial recusal touches upon the constitutional guarantee of an impartial judiciary (Art. 21, 124) and the procedural safeguards under the Code of Civil Procedure. It also reflects broader concerns of political accountability and the role of quasi‑judicial bodies in investigating alleged corruption in government policy implementation.

UPSC Syllabus

• GS2 — Government policies and interventions for development
• Prelims_GS — Constitution and Political System
• GS2 — Statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
• Prelims_GS — National Current Affairs
• GS4 — Work culture, quality of service delivery, utilization of public funds, corruption
• GS2 — Executive and Judiciary - structure, organization and functioning
• GS3 — Role of external state and non-state actors in security challenges