Delhi High Court adjourned CBI plea challenging discharge of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in excise policy case. Swarana Kanta Sharma sought full trial court record, listing matter for May 4 hearing.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, adjourned the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) challenge to the discharge of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other accused in the Excise policy case until Monday, May 4, 2026. Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma asked for the entire trial court record of the case.
In February 2026, the CBI filed an appeal in the High Court contesting the discharge of Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and several other accused in the Excise policy matter.
The latest development follows earlier decisions by Justice Sharma regarding concerns raised over her role in the proceedings. On April 20, 2026, she rejected requests by Kejriwal for her recusal, after he cited a “direct conflict of interest,” arguing that the judge’s children are empanelled with the Central government and that they secure substantial work through the Solicitor General, who had appeared for the CBI.
On April 21, 2026, the Delhi High Court noted that:
“a judge cannot recuse to satisfy a litigant’s unfounded suspicion of bias and based on manufactured allegations”.
However, Justice Sharma dismissed the argument further, stating:
“Even if relatives [of the judge] are empanelled on government panels, the litigant has to show relevance and impact on this case. No such nexus has been shown. Their empanelment or relationship has no connection with this dispute.”
She had said,
“The litigant cannot dictate how the children of the judge have to live their lives in the absence of any proof that the office of the judge was misused,”
On April 27, 2026, Kejriwal wrote to Justice Sharma indicating that he would not appear personally, or through counsel, for the hearing. Following this, Manish Sisodia on April 28, 2026, and AAP leader Durgesh Pathak on April 29, 2026, also submitted letters to Justice Sharma stating that they would not participate in the proceedings either in person or through a lawyer.
Kejriwal is currently on interim bail in the money laundering case. The Supreme Court has referred questions regarding the need and necessity of arrest under the PMLA to a larger bench for a detailed examination.
Separately, on February 27, the trial court discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia, and 21 others in the liquor policy case, holding that the CBI case could not withstand judicial scrutiny and was discredited in its entirety. The CBI’s challenge to that discharge order remains pending before the High Court.
Delhi High Court had also issued a fresh notice to Arvind Kejriwal in ED petitions challenging his acquittal in excise policy matters, after earlier notice remained unserved and no appearance was made despite summons.
The Delhi excise policy case stems from the 2021–22 liquor policy introduced by the Government of NCT of Delhi under Arvind Kejriwal, which shifted liquor retail from government-run shops to private players with the aim of increasing revenue and improving efficiency. However, allegations soon emerged that undue benefits were given to certain license holders, including waivers, discounts, and alleged kickbacks routed through intermediaries.
Following complaints and a report by the Lieutenant Governor, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case, after which the Enforcement Directorate initiated a parallel money laundering probe under PMLA. Several political figures and businesspersons were investigated or arrested, and the policy was eventually scrapped in 2022, leading to ongoing legal and political controversy.
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