AAP’s Kejriwal, Sisodia move Supreme Court after Delhi HC rejects plea to transfer excise policy case

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal And senior party leader Manish Sisodia has contacted Supreme Court After the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court The party on Sunday said it rejected his request to transfer the CBI’s plea against discharging him in the excise policy case from the bench of Justice Swarnkant Sharma to another judge.The development comes a day before the CBI’s plea challenging the discharge order comes up for hearing before Justice Sharma.

Delhi HC Chief Justice rejects transfer request

According to news agency PTI, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay rejected the request by former Chief Minister Kejriwal and other accused to transfer the case to the administrative side.According to sources quoted by PTI, the Chief Justice took the view that Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma was hearing the CBI plea in line with the roster allocation, and there was no reason to pass the transfer order.Following that rejection, AAP said Kejriwal and Sisodia have challenged the decision in the Supreme Court.

Why did Kejriwal ask for transfer?

On March 11, Kejriwal, Sisodia and other accused in the excise policy case submitted a representation to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, seeking transfer of the CBI plea from Justice Sharma to another “impartial” judge.Kejriwal, in his representation, said he had a “serious, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the trial in the case would not be fair and neutral.The CBI has moved the Delhi High Court against the trial court order acquitting Kejriwal and other accused in the excise policy case.

What happened in the High Court?

Issuing notice to all 23 accused, including Kejriwal, Justice Swarnkant Sharma had said that certain findings and observations made by the trial court at the stage of framing of charges prima facie appear to be wrong and need to be considered.That observation appears to have given rise to the apprehension expressed by AAP leaders.Earlier, Kejriwal’s representation argued that the High Court not only issued notice in the first short hearing on March 9, but also, ex parte and without hearing the acquitted accused, recorded a prima facie opinion that the trial court’s detailed order was “erroneous”.The representation also objected to the stay of the directions and observations of the trial court against the investigating officer, including the departmental action proposed by the High Court, without mentioning the specific pathology that justifies such interim intervention.According to the representation, such relief at the preliminary stage and without hearing the acquitted accused strengthened the apprehension that the revision petition may not be heard with the necessary judicial detachment.

The trial court had acquitted Kejriwal, Sisodia and others.

Arguments on charges in the excise policy case began in December 2025 and on February 27, the special CBI court passed a detailed order acquitting Kejriwal, Sisodia, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and all other accused in the case.Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the case in June 2024 and chargesheet was filed in July 2024.The CBI petition challenging the discharge is now listed for hearing before Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma on Monday.