NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court was on Tuesday told that AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and CJP spokesperson Saurav Das have deleted their social media posts allegedly vilifying Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
The claim was made before a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja during the hearing of a criminal contempt case filed by advocate Ashok Chaitanya against Das, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders.
The bench directed the complainant to file digital and electronic evidence to prove his claim about deletion of the posts. It also directed the accused persons to file their response within four weeks.
The counsel for Kejriwal and other accused persons told the bench that they were yet to receive the material that formed the basis of the contempt case.
The bench directed the court registry to supply the material to the respondents and said, “A reply should be filed in four weeks.” The next hearing is scheduled on September 21.
On May 19, the court had issued notice to Kejriwal and other politicians on the suo motu contempt case initiated by Justice Sharma and had granted them four weeks to file their response. It had then appointed senior advocate Rajdipa Behura as amicus curiae.
Justice Sharma had on May 14 initiated criminal contempt proceedings against Kejriwal, Sisodia, Singh and other AAP leaders, including Durgesh Pathak and Saurabh Bharadwaj, over “vilifying” social media posts against her in relation to the excise policy case.
Justice Sharma had asserted that Kejriwal “orchestrated a calculated campaign of vilification” against her on social media instead of pursuing legal remedies and clarified that the CBI petition against the discharge of all accused persons would now be taken up by another bench.
Subsequently, Chaitanya also filed a contempt petition. In the contempt order, Justice Sharma noted the wide circulation of clips from the court proceedings, stating that the proposed contemnors were creating a “parallel narrative”, and “remaining silent” was not judicial restraint but a “surrender before powerful litigant”.
On February 27, Kejriwal, Sisodia and 21 others were discharged in the liquor policy case. However, Kejriwal and others refused to participate in the hearings citing bias and conflict of interest on the part of the judge.
Also in court
Two FIRs against AAP MLA quashed
The HC has quashed two FIRs against AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar for organising a Tiranga Yatra in 2021 amid COVID-19 restrictions, holding that he has already been convicted in one case arising from the same procession. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that three FIRs were registered in the same event hence two have been quashed.
Court seeks CBI’s reply on lie detector test
A special fast-track court on Tuesday sought response from the CBI on pleas filed by three persons accused in NEET paper leak case, seeking permission to voluntarily undergo a lie detector test and brain mapping. Special Judge Ajay Gupta, also sought CMI response on maintainability of the application by August 6, the next date of hearing.