Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has filed a fresh affidavit in the Delhi High Court, naming the son and daughter of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma as empanelled central government counsel. This bolsters his bid for the judge's recusal from the CBI's revision plea challenging his discharge in the excise policy case.
Kejriwal, a key opposition leader under central agency scrutiny, argues that official records from the Department of Legal Affairs reveal a "direct and serious appearance of conflict of interest". He notes that Ishaan Sharma, the judge's son, serves as Group 'A' panel counsel for the Supreme Court and has handled central government matters in the Delhi High Court. His daughter, Shambhavi Sharma, is a government pleader for the Delhi High Court and Group 'C' panel counsel for the Supreme Court.
These are not honorary roles, Kejriwal stresses, but ongoing professional engagements with case allocations, court appearances, and fees. Citing a 2022 Ministry of Law and Justice notification and government FAQs, he links this to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the CBI before Justice Sharma and oversees Supreme Court case assignments to panel counsel.
RTI data underscores the ties: Ishaan Sharma received 2,487 cases in 2023, 1,784 in 2024, and 1,633 in 2025—proof of a "live, continuing and substantial" relationship with the Centre.
Kejriwal highlights the case's political sensitivity, invoking the Supreme Court's "caged parrot" remark on investigative agencies. He seeks no accusation of actual bias but insists a fair-minded litigant would reasonably apprehend partiality, eroding public trust in judicial neutrality.
He also flags procedural irregularities: after his arguments ended at 3:45 pm, CBI submissions continued past 7 pm without his rejoinder, and the court issued main-matter orders while his recusal plea pended.
Kejriwal prays for Justice Sharma's recusal to uphold justice and judicial impartiality.