New Delhi, April 27
In the case being heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced that he will neither appear in court nor present any arguments. In a statement issued here today, Kejriwal said that hope of getting justice from the judge has collapsed and he has formally informed the court of his decision through a letter.
Kejriwal stated, “I had requested Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma to recuse herself from my case because of a conflict of interest, but she decided on her own to hear the matter herself. Whatever judgment Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma delivers in this case, I remain free to exercise my legal rights regarding it.” He also clarified, “I have complete faith in the judiciary and the highest respect for it, because when conspiracies were hatched against me, it was the judiciary that cleared me of all charges and delivered justice.”
The AAP Chief said, “Many times in life, moments arise when victory or defeat do not matter. What becomes even bigger is the question of right and wrong, of what is correct and what is incorrect. At such times, we must decide whether we will choose the difficult path or the easy one. Today, I too stand at such a turning point. Everyone knows that I was trapped in a false case. I was sent to jail. An elected government was wrongfully brought down. We were kept in prison for many months, but in the end truth prevailed. On 27 February, the court declared me completely innocent. The court said that Kejriwal is innocent. Kejriwal has committed no corruption.”
Kejriwal added, “The court even raised questions over the CBI investigation itself and ordered action against the investigating officer. But the path of truth is never easy. The CBI immediately challenged this decision in the High Court, and the case came before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. At that point, a serious question arose in my mind, whether I would receive justice before her. There are several reasons why this question arose, but two are the main ones.”
Kejriwal stated, “Whatever judgment Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma delivers, I remain free, at the appropriate time, to exercise all my legal rights, including challenging it in the Supreme Court and taking any other legal steps available to me. Today I have also informed Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of this through a letter. I have no personal opposition of any kind towards her. Even in the future, if any other case of mine comes before her in which BJP, the central government, or Tushar Mehta are not opposing me, I will certainly appear before her.”
Kejriwal concluded by stating, “In this very case, at every stage and in every court, I have fully cooperated. I have great respect for the judiciary. It is because of this judiciary that I am free today. My one and only purpose is to strengthen people’s trust in the country’s justice system and to fill people with unshakeable faith that whenever needed, they will certainly receive justice from our judicial system.”
