Delhi High Court Adjourns CBI's Plea Against Discharge Of Arvind Kejriwal, Others In Excise Policy Case To July 16

The Delhi High Court on Monday (May 25) adjourned till July hearing of CBI's plea challenging discharge of the accused in the excise policy case.

The court has also listed ED's plea seeking expunging of certain adverse observations made by the trial court while discharging all in the excise policy case. 

Last week the court had said that fresh notice be issued to AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal, and leaders Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, regarding transfer of the case to another bench.

The trio were boycotting the hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. However, following transfer of matter, when it was taken up today, the court was informed that three vakalathnamas have been filed.

Meanwhile Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appearing for the CBI submitted before Justice Manoj Jain that CBI has filed an affidavit of service on Kejriwal, Sisodia and Pathak.

SG Mehta submitted that in this very matter after service all three respondents had appeared and then they had filed recusal applications, meaning thereby that they are appearing.

The court orally said, "We will do one thing.Today is a little peculiar in the sense because lawyers are abstaining...We will hear everyone on the next date. In the meanwhile if they have already filed Vakaltnama, I think then on the next date whenever they are here we will see as to which dates can be given and schedule can be drawn for hearing the matter. We will have it somewhere in middle of July".

As SG Mehta said that for fixing the matter in July the matter can be listed on Wednesday the court orally said that, "We will have it in July...We will find out from the registry it seems that some Vakalatnamas have been filed. If those are filed we will take those on record and fix up a date only for that limited purpose". 

The matter is listed on July 16. 

The matter was transferred to Justice Jain, after Justice Sharma initiated contempt proceedings against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Vinay Mishra, Durgesh Pathak and Saurabh Bharadwaj. She had earlier rejected the recusal applications like by Kejriwal and others.

A division bench issued notice to Kejriwal and AAP's other leaders in the suo motu criminal contempt proceedings. Thereafter last week the court had listed a separate contempt plea against Kejriwal, Bharadwaj, AAP leader Gopal Rai and journalist Saurav Das along with suo-motu contempt plea and also issued notice to Rai and Das. 

On February 27, the trial court discharged all the 23 accused persons in the case, including political leaders Kejriwal, Sisodia and K Kavitha. The trial court had also severely criticised the CBI's investigation in the case.

It may be noted that the case had become politically controversial, as Kejriwal was arrested and remanded to the custody amidst the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He was later granted bail by the Supreme Court after 156 days of custody. AAP leader Manish Sisodia also spent 530 days in custody in the case.

The CBI's revision against the trial court's order was heard by Justice Sharma, who on March 9, prima facie observed that the trial court's observations were erroneous.

Later, Kejriwal and some other accused, including Sisodia, filed applications seeking recusal of Justice Sharma on ground of apprehension of bias. Justice Sharma, dismissed the recusal applications and decided to hear the matter herself.

Thereafter, Kejriwal and Sisodia wrote to Justice Sharma stating that they are boycotting the hearing before her and will not appear, either in person or through a counsel.

Case Title: CBI v. Kuldeep Singh & Ors

CRL.REV.P.-134/2026