Delhi High Court to hear contempt case against Arvind Kejriwal and others

The Delhi High Court has scheduled hearings for November 16 regarding criminal contempt proceedings against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh. The case involves allegations of a “concerted and orchestrated campaign” on social media to vilify Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma following her decision regarding recusal applications in the excise policy case.

A division bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Arun Bhardwaj granted the respondents six weeks to file their responses to the suo motu contempt initiated by the judge. Additionally, the court will hear a separate contempt petition filed by lawyer Ashok Chaitanya against several AAP leaders and journalist Saurav Das. Chaitanya alleges that the individuals published “serious, unfounded, and scandalous allegations” concerning the professional engagements of the judge’s family members.

During recent proceedings, Chaitanya informed the court that although it was previously suggested the controversial tweets had been removed, the content remains accessible on social media. The court has directed Chaitanya to file an affidavit and provide the relevant material on record.