New Delhi, 20 March (H.S.): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached the Supreme Court on Friday, filing three caveats in response to petitions by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia seeking transfer of their Delhi High Court cases from Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma's bench to another judge in the excise policy scam probe. The agency urged the apex court to hear its side before issuing any orders on the matter.

Kejriwal, Sisodia, and other accused had demanded transfer of CBI and ED petitions challenging a trial court's discharge order, but Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay rejected it. On March 11, Kejriwal wrote to the Chief Justice, alleging bias and citing Justice Sharma's March 9 order—passed without hearing their side—that stayed the trial court's acquittal without justifying extraordinary circumstances.

Kejriwal contended that the order improperly addressed ED issues despite its absence as a party and denied standard 4-5 weeks for responses. Notably, on March 9, Justice Sharma issued notices to all accused in CBI's challenge to the February 27 Rouse Avenue Court discharge of 23 accused, including Kejriwal and Sisodia (who spent 530 days in jail), stayed adverse CBI remarks, and barred trial court proceedings in the linked ED money laundering case.

The trial court had criticized CBI's chargesheet for inconsistencies, noting facts mismatched witness statements and highlighting jail time served, with Kejriwal released on September 13, 2024, after Supreme Court bail.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar