Arvind Kejriwal Moves Supreme Court Against HC Chief Justice’s Decision on Bench Transfer in Excise Policy Case

New Delhi, March 2026: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the decision of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court declining his request to transfer the hearing of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea in the Delhi excise policy case from the Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

In a writ petition filed before the apex court, Kejriwal has questioned a communication issued by the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court stating that Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya — who acts as the “master of the roster” — had found no grounds to reassign the case to another Bench.

According to the petition, the Chief Justice rejected the request on the basis that the matter had been allocated to Justice Sharma strictly in accordance with the existing roster system of the court. The communication reportedly stated that there was no justification to transfer the case through an administrative order.

Kejriwal, however, has argued before the Supreme Court that the refusal to shift the case raises a “grave, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” regarding the possibility of the matter being heard without full impartiality and neutrality.

The petition also refers to previous proceedings in the excise policy-related cases, pointing out that bail pleas of several accused were earlier rejected by Justice Sharma but were subsequently granted by the Supreme Court. The Aam Aadmi Party leader has cited these developments to underline his concerns about the continuation of the proceedings before the same Bench.

Apart from the writ petition, Kejriwal has also filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging certain observations made by Justice Sharma while hearing a revision plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the case.

Sources indicated that the matter is likely to be mentioned before the Supreme Court on Monday, with Kejriwal’s legal team expected to request an urgent hearing.

The legal developments come shortly after a single-judge Bench of Justice Sharma stayed a trial court order that had directed departmental action against a CBI officer who had investigated the excise policy case. The High Court also ruled that the critical remarks made by the trial court against the investigating agency and the officer would remain stayed until further orders.

The High Court Bench had issued notices to Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and other respondents while hearing the CBI’s criminal revision petition.

The agency’s petition challenges an order passed by the Rouse Avenue Court which discharged all 23 accused in the case, including Kejriwal and Sisodia, in connection with alleged corruption linked to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.

In its order, the trial court had held that the material presented during the investigation did not establish the alleged larger conspiracy behind the formulation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021–22. The policy, introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Delhi, was later scrapped amid allegations of irregularities, corruption, and kickbacks.

The case has since become one of the most closely watched legal and political controversies involving the former Delhi government, with multiple proceedings continuing in different courts. The Supreme Court is now expected to consider Kejriwal’s plea regarding the transfer of the matter as well as the issues raised about the ongoing proceedings in the High Court.