Delhi High Court judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma has been at the center of controversy after Arvind Kejriwal sought her recusal in a case related to the Delhi excise policy matter. With a career spanning over three decades, Justice Sharma has held various positions, including magistrate, sessions judge, and special judge. She has also authored five books, including fiction and non-fiction works.
Justice Sharma's recent order in the Delhi excise policy case, where she stayed the trial court's direction for departmental proceedings against the investigating CBI officer, has been cited by Kejriwal as a trigger for his "apprehension of bias". Kejriwal argued that the HC had passed a "sweeping order" after hearing the CBI for only five minutes, without hearing his side.
Kejriwal also raised concerns about Justice Sharma's attendance at events organized by the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, a lawyers' body affiliated with the RSS, and contended that in five previous cases before her bench, the court's observations had amounted to judgements. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea, arguing that allowing it would set a "dangerous precedent".
