NEW DELHI: After Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday wrote to Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, declaring that neither he nor any lawyer would appear on his behalf in the excise policy case proceedings.Sisodia too, like Kejriwal, claimed that the judge’s children are empaneled as lawyers for the central government, which is represented in court by solicitor general Tushar Mehta.In his letter, Sisodia said the “future of your children lies in the hands of” Tushar Mehta, adding that he had “no hope for justice” and would instead follow the only path of Satyagraha.A day earlier, Arvind Kejriwal had announced a similar boycott of hearings before Justice Sharma in the Delhi high court. In a four-page letter, the AAP chief said he would neither appear in person nor be represented by counsel in the excise policy case before her court.Kejriwal said he had reached a “clear conclusion” that the proceedings did not meet the principle that justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done. His decision came days after the judge declined his plea seeking her recusal.“My hope of receiving justice… has been shattered. Listening to my conscience and adhering to the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, I have decided not to appear before her in this case,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.The development follows a February 27 order by a special court acquitting Kejriwal, Sisodia and others in the alleged excise policy corruption case. The CBI subsequently challenged the verdict in the high court, where the matter is now being heard by Justice Sharma.Explaining his concerns, Kejriwal alleged that Justice Sharma had attended events linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad and raised questions over a potential conflict of interest, claiming that her children are empaneled as lawyers for the central government, which is represented in court by Solicitor General Mehta.He, however, reiterated his “complete faith in the judiciary” and clarified that he holds Justice Sharma in high regard, stating he would have no objection to appearing before her in other matters where BJP, Center or Tushar Mehta are not involved.
