Liquor policy case: After Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia says he will not appear before Delhi HC judge

Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that he “will not participate” personally or through a counsel before Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma in the proceedings related to the liquor policy case.

This came a day after party chief Arvind Kejriwal said that he will not appear in person or through a lawyer before Sharma. The judge is hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation’s challenge against a trial court order discharging the former chief minister, Sisodia and several others in the case.

On April 20, Sharma rejected a petition filed by Kejriwal, Sisodia and the others that she recuse herself from hearing the case.

Their petition had raised concerns about “perceived ideological proximity”, referring to Sharma attending an event of an organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The RSS is the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Kejriwal also argued before Sharma that she had repeatedly passed orders in favour of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case.

In a letter to the judge on Tuesday, Sisodia said that his doubts about her impartiality in the case stood unresolved.

Referring to a letter written by Kejriwal on Monday, Sisodia said that he was in “respectful agreement” with the stand taken by the AAP chief. He added that the decision was based on Mahatma...

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