Arvind Kejriwal on Monday refused to appear before the Delhi High Court in connection with the excise policy case, writing directly to Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma and citing a loss of faith in the proceedings.
Refusal to appear in court
In his letter, Kejriwal said, "I have lost hope of getting justice from Justice Swarana Kanta ji. That is why I have decided to follow Mahatma Gandhi's path of satyagraha."
He added that the decision was guided by personal conviction. "I have taken this decision after listening to my inner conscience. I will reserve the right to approach the Supreme Court to appeal Justice Swarana Kanta’s decision," Kejriwal said.
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Kejriwal stated that he would neither appear in person nor be represented by a lawyer in the case, while keeping open the option of legal recourse before the Supreme Court of India.
'Crossroads' and allegations
In a video message, Kejriwal described his position as a moral dilemma. "There are moments in life when winning or losing does not matter; what matters more is the question of what is right and what is wrong. At such times, we must decide whether to choose the difficult path or the easy one. Today, I stand at such a crossroads."
He reiterated his claim of being falsely implicated and referred to a prior court verdict. "You all know that I was implicated in a false case, sent to jail, and an elected government was brought down unfairly. We were kept in prison for months, but in the end, truth prevailed. On February 27, the court declared me completely innocent. The court said Kejriwal is innocent and has committed no corruption. It also raised questions over the CBI’s investigation and ordered action against the investigating officer," he said.
He also raised concerns over impartiality and conflict of interest, stating that he had requested the judge to recuse herself, which was declined.
In all humility and with complete respect for judiciary, I have written the following letter to Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, informing her that pursuing Gandhian principles of Satyagraha, it won’t be possible for me to pursue this case in her court, either in person or through a… pic.twitter.com/HmyOyNYug8
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 27, 2026
Court rejects recusal plea
The High Court had earlier dismissed Kejriwal’s plea seeking recusal of Justice Sharma, stating that such requests cannot be based on perception or unsubstantiated claims.
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Responding to allegations, the judge said, "Sirf Kejriwal ji ne ye allegation lagaya hain" and cautioned that if such reasoning were accepted, courts would be unable to hear matters involving the government.
She added, "If children of politicians can enter politics, how will it be fair to question when children or family of judge enter legal profession and struggle and prove themselves like others" and termed the allegations unfounded.
"There is such a thing as an actual conflict of interest, and then there’s making it look like one to everyone else. In this case, they've portrayed a conflict where none actually exists. A litigant cant be permitted to create situation that lowers judicial process," she said.
