Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 17: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted four weeks to former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others to file their responses to the CBI's plea challenging their discharge in the alleged excise policy corruption case.
Justice Manoj Jain termed it the final opportunity to file replies and listed the matter for hearing on October 5 and 6. The court said arguments would be heard together on those dates and made it clear that no further adjournments would be granted.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), opposed the AAP leaders' request for additional time, describing the move as “childish”.
In his petition, Sisodia argued that the CBI had filed its challenge within four hours of the trial court's verdict “without a second thought”. He also submitted that the CBI's petition did not specify which evidence had allegedly been ignored against which accused.
The trial court, in a judgment running to more than 1,100 paragraphs delivered on February 27, had discharged all accused in the corruption case registered by the CBI.
The trial court held that the now-scrapped excise policy was the result of a consultative and deliberative process and concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish an overarching conspiracy.
The CBI, in its revision petition before the High Court, has alleged that the excise policy introduced by the then AAP-led Delhi government was manipulated to favour select liquor traders in return for kickbacks.
The matter came before Justice Jain after it was reassigned from the Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. The reassignment followed the initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against several AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, over the alleged circulation of “vilifying and defamatory” material targeting the judiciary in connection with the excise policy case.
On August 4, the High Court had adjourned the suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Kejriwal, Sisodia, Singh and other AAP leaders until September 21.
A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja directed the registry to provide the respondents with digital copies of the material forming the basis of the contempt reference. The direction came after senior counsel representing Kejriwal and the other AAP leaders submitted that they had not received the relevant documents.
The Division Bench also granted the proposed contemnors four weeks to file their replies in the criminal contempt proceedings. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on September 21.