Manish Sisodia has told the Delhi High Court that he will not participate in further proceedings in the ongoing liquor policy case before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. His decision follows a similar move by Arvind Kejriwal, who had earlier declined to appear before the same judge.
In a letter addressed to the court, Sisodia said his decision was guided by Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of Satyagraha, stating that his conscience left him with no alternative. He clarified that his stance is limited strictly to the excise policy case and should not be seen as a general refusal to appear before courts or as a lack of faith in the judiciary.
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Justice Sharma is currently hearing revision petitions filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has challenged a trial court order discharging Kejriwal, Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and others in the alleged liquor policy corruption case.
Earlier, both Kejriwal and Sisodia had sought the judge’s recusal, citing apprehensions of bias. However, Justice Sharma dismissed those requests last week and decided to continue with the proceedings.
In his communication, Sisodia flagged two concerns: Justice Sharma’s participation in events organised by the Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad and the professional engagements of her children with multiple Union government panels. He stressed that his concerns were not allegations of wrongdoing but were linked to maintaining public confidence in judicial impartiality.
Reiterating his position, Sisodia said his move should not be seen as an attack on the judiciary. He underlined that disagreement with a specific proceeding does not amount to distrust of the institution, adding that his respect for the courts remains intact. However, he said continuing in the case despite his concerns would go against his conscience.
