@LiveLawIndia: Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma o...

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court to hear today AAP @AamAadmiParty leader Arvind Kejriwal’s @ArvindKejriwal plea seeking recusal of Justice Sharma from liquor policy case.

#Kejriwal to appear and argue the matter himself.

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Security outside Delhi High Court as Kejriwal about to reach for his hearing.

Justice Sharma is slated to hear the matter at 2:30 PM.

Arvind Kejriwal reaches High Court.

SGI Tushar Mehta, ASG SV Raju present in the courtroom. Kejriwal is also present.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma presides. Matter to be taken up shortly.

Matter taken up.

Mehta informs Court that reply has been filed by CBI.

Court records that Kejriwal has not authorised any counsel, allows him to argue his recusal application.

We will conclude today probably: Court.

Kejriwal starts to argue.

Kejriwal thanks Court to allow him to argue.

Kejriwal: Mai aapki bohot izzat karta hu. Judiciary ki boht izzat karta hu. Mere opposite me Mehta sahab hain, unki bhi. Unse sahyog ki apeksha karta hu.

The respect is mutual. We will just concentrate on this case and argue the recusal application. I am there to cooperate with you: Court

Kejriwal: Aaj mai accused ki haisiyat se nahj khada. I have been discharged. Mai ek do lines order me se padhna chahunga.

Abhi hum keval recusal sun rahe hain: Court

Kejriwal reads few lines from discharge order.

Court: Recusal pe hum sidha aaenge. Mai file padh chuki hu.

Kejriwal: Trial court ne teen mahine day to day hearings kari. Evidence pdhe aur discharge kiya. Court ne bola ye sab pehle se premeditated tha, hume fasaya gaya. CBI ne revision file kari.

Kejriwal: March 9 ko is court me pehli sunwayi hui. Is court me cbi ke alawa koi aur party maujood nahi thi. Sab party ke bina ex parte bina notice, this court passed an order. Jo trial court ne 3 November se February ke beech me daily basis pe sunwayi krke order pass kara tha, usko 5 min ki sunwayi ne is court ne prima facie galt declare kar diya.

Kejriwal: Jab ye order aya, mera dil baith gaya. I had doubts whether court is biased and if i will get justice here. This is why i wrote to CJ that case may be transferred to any other bench. Then i filed this application.

Kejriwal: Basic principle of recusal, SC ki judgment me diya gaya hain.

He refers to a judgment.

Kejriwal: Unhone kaha hain judge ka bias hona zaroori nahi hain lekin agr party ke mind me reasonable doubt hai then it is case of recusal. I have apprehension in my mind. Meri choti si objection hai. Meri apprehension aur ye recusal application is between court and party. Cbi has no locus in this. Cbi should not be made a party.

Kejriwal: Satyendar jain ke case me, 18 ghante sunwayi ho chuki thi, 6 din tak. Tab tak ED ko koi apprehension nai hui. Aakhri tareekh pe suddenly apprehension hui, matter was transferred. This courtgranted judgment in ED favour. Us case mw aur mere case me boht similarities hain. Question is not of integrity of judge, question is apprehension in mind of party. In that case this court relied on SC judgment.

Kejriwal: I am only requesting same parity as ED, especially when my apprehensions are on much stronger ground.