The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday opposed applications filed by Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and others seeking that Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma recuse herself from hearing the agency’s challenge to their discharge in the Delhi liquor policy case, Live Law reported.
In its response before the Delhi High Court, the CBI argued that the judge’s decision to attend a legal seminar organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, a lawyers’ organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, cannot be treated as evidence of ideological bias.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Kejriwal, along with Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, and other persons accused in the matter including Vijay Nair and Arun Ramchandra Pillai, have sought that the judge recuse herself because of the grounds of a reasonable apprehension that she lacks impartiality, The Hindu reported.
Their plea cited previous rulings by Sharma in related cases as proof of bias.
The CBI argued that the claim was untenable, adding that if attending events shows ideological bias of any judge, “then [a] large number of sitting High Court and Supreme Court judges would have to recuse [themselves] from hearing any case where politically exposed persons are accused”.
It further described the allegations of bias as “unscrupulous” and...
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