Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a significant legal maneuver, former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is set to appear personally before the Delhi High Court on Monday, April 6, 2026. Kejriwal intends to argue a fresh application seeking the recusal of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma from hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal against his discharge in the Delhi excise policy case. This move follows a string of attempts by the AAP leadership to have the matter reassigned, citing apprehensions over the impartiality of the current bench.
The legal battle intensified after a trial court discharged Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and several others on February 27, 2026, delivering a blow to the CBI’s investigation. The central agency subsequently challenged this discharge order in the High Court. Kejriwal and other AAP leaders initially approached Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on the administrative side to transfer the case, but the request was declined last month on the grounds that the matter followed the standard roster and any decision on recusal must be made by the judge in question.
Kejriwal’s decision to argue the matter in person highlights the high stakes of the proceedings. His legal team has previously expressed concerns over certain observations made by Justice Sharma in earlier related hearings, which they argue create a “reasonable apprehension” of predisposition. The AAP leader also recently approached the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution to seek a transfer of the case, emphasizing that the High Court’s interim stay on the trial court’s discharge order was an extraordinary step taken without hearing the accused.
As the High Court prepares for Monday’s session, the focus remains on whether Justice Sharma will choose to step aside or continue presiding over the revision petition. The CBI, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, has pushed for an expedited hearing, describing the trial court’s discharge order as an “exception” that should be reviewed immediately. With the political climate in Delhi remains charged ahead of future electoral cycles, the outcome of this procedural clash could significantly impact the trajectory of the long-standing excise policy investigation.
