Delhi High Court Issues Notice to Arvind Kejriwal Over Social Media Video of Court Proceedings

Court's Directive on Social Media Videos

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to Arvind Kejriwal regarding the broadcasting of court proceedings on social media. The court has instructed platforms like Facebook, Google, and X to remove all videos related to the hearings conducted by Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma. This case pertains to the excise policy, in which Kejriwal personally appeared in court to present his arguments.

Concerns Over Judicial Dignity

The court expressed that airing videos of judicial proceedings could undermine the dignity of the judicial process, necessitating the immediate removal of such content. During the hearing of Kejriwal's petition seeking a change of judge in the excise matter, the High Court ordered the removal of videos recording Kejriwal's statements and the court proceedings. This directive was issued by a bench comprising Justice V. Kameshwar Rao and Justice Manmeet Arora.

Notice Issued to Journalists

In the videos, Kejriwal can be seen arguing his request to recuse himself from the case before Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma. The High Court has also issued notices to journalist Ravish Kumar and others who uploaded the videos. The petition seeks contempt proceedings against Kejriwal and others involved in sharing the court proceedings on social media.

Rejection of Petition Against Judge

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Kejriwal and others that sought the removal of Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma from the excise policy case. While rejecting the petition, Justice Sharma stated that the allegations against him were not supported by any evidence. The court noted that these concerns were based solely on unfounded claims that questioned his impartiality and credibility.