Controversial Plea for Judge's Recusal in Liquor Policy Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has defended Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma against a recusal request in the liquor policy case involving former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The CBI dismissed claims of bias, citing that the judge's attendance at a legal seminar did not signify ideological alignment.

Kejriwal, alongside other AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, filed the recusal application, arguing Justice Sharma's prior judgments as biased. They claim her presence at a seminar conducted by Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, linked to the RSS, raises impartiality concerns.

The CBI maintained that disqualifying judges for attending non-political seminars undermines judicial independence. Highlighting that high-ranking judges, including the Chief Justice, have attended similar events, they argued that granting such recusal requests could lead to anarchy within the judicial system.