Delhi high court judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal's plea seeking recusal from hearing the excise policy case, saying unfounded allegations won't decide benches.
Justice Sharma said recusal has to 'stem from law and not from narrative' and called the dismissal a 'defining moment for the court.'
The observation came in response to a hearing on a plea filed by Kejriwal and others before the high court seeking Justice Sharma's recusal in the liquor policy case, after the AAP leader's move to transfer the case was rejected last month.
The court said that accepting such pleas on mere suspicion would undermine the judicial process and erode institutional integrity.
Justice Sharma slammed Kejriwal for citing Amit Shah's statement to allege bias and demand recusal, saying 'any politician or Union Minister expressed opinion which may he adverse to litigant, there is no control on what politician or Kejriwal who is politician himself may state in public or in politics.'
She also said that attending an RSS-linked event was a professional engagement and not political in nature, and that mere attendance as a speaker or chief guest cannot be construed as ideological bias or give rise to apprehension of prejudice.
Justice Sharma further said that while judges are invited as judges of court, but in interaction, there is no space for any political ideology, and that the relationship between bar and bench is not confined only to courtrooms.
The case stems from the Delhi Excise Policy case, where the CBI has challenged the discharge of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others.
