New Delhi, Apr 21:
Delhi High Court judge Swarana Kanta Sharma on Monday refused to recuse herself from hearing the liquor-policy case as she rejected the pleas of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and others for her withdrawal.
In the pronouncement that lasted for more than an hour, Justice Sharma said a litigant cannot be allowed to judge a judge without any material, and judges cannot recuse themselves to satisfy a litigant’s unfounded apprehension of bias.
She added that a political leader cannot be allowed to damage an institution without any basis, as a personal attack on a judge is an attack on the judiciary itself.
Justice Sharma concluded that the narrative in the pleas for her recusal was based on conjectures and “perceived inclinations”.
“This court will stand up for itself and the institution…. I will not recuse,” the judge said.
Kejriwal had raised several objections against the judge hearing the CBI’s plea against his discharge in the liquor-policy case, including that she had earlier denied him relief on his petition challenging his arrest and refused to grant relief on the bail pleas of other accused, including Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha.
Besides Kejriwal, the applications for the judge’s recusal were also filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak