Delhi High Court Judge Faces Vilification Amidst Excise Policy Case

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of Delhi High Court initiated criminal contempt proceedings against AAP leaders for orchestrating a campaign of vilification against her regarding the excise policy case. She criticized the AAP leaders for attributing political motives to her and warned against undermining judicial authority under the guise of free speech.

In a notable development, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court has launched criminal contempt proceedings against several AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh, due to allegedly defamatory social media posts concerning her role in the excise policy case.

Justice Sharma accused the former chief minister and his colleagues of conducting a calculated campaign to vilify her, rather than pursuing their grievances through legal channels. She asserted that such actions were designed to intimidate and undermine the judiciary’s authority.

Acknowledging the issue's gravity, Justice Sharma emphasized that free speech cannot justify deliberate assaults on a court's credibility. Consequently, she decided to transfer CBI's petition to another bench while maintaining her stance on the non-recusal from the case.