Delhi HC seeks response from journalist Saurav Das, AAP's Gopal Rai on contempt plea for targeting Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to journalist Saurav Das and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai on a criminal contempt of court petition filed against them by a lawyer for allegedly running a "coordinated" campaign to target Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

However, the Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja did not issue notice to two other respondents, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and another AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, since the two are already facing contempt of court proceedings in the suo motu matter initiated by the High Court over the same issue relating to Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

Both the suo motu contempt matter and the petition by the lawyer will now be heard together.

The Court also appointed Senior Advocate Rajdipa Behura as Amicus Curiae in the matter.

The plea against Das and AAP leaders was filed by advocate Ashok Chaitanya after getting consent from the Delhi government's Additional Standing Counsel (Criminal), Sanjeev Bhandari.

As per the plea, Kejriwal, Das, Bharadwaj and Rai "initiated a concerted and orchestrated campaign on the social media platform X publishing and amplifying content containing serious, unfounded and scandalous allegations against Justice Sharma.

 "The impugned posts alleged, inter alia, a supposed conflict of interest, bias, and impropriety, based on misleading assertions relating to the professional engagements of the Hon'ble Judge's family members," the plea said.

It added that the coordinated nature of the posts, their timing during the pendency of judicial proceedings, and the nature of the allegations clearly demonstrated a calculated attempt to lower the authority of the court and interfere with the due course of justice.

According to the plea,

"It is submitted that the allegations fanning the basis of the impugned posts are factually incorrect and deliberately misleading. The empanelment of advocates by governmental bodies is a routine process based on merit and professional competence. The attempt to attribute impropriety to such empanelment is wholly baseless and intended only to malign the integrity of the Hon'ble Judge."

Chaitanya also argued that Kejriwal's tweet stating that he would be boycotting the proceedings before Justice Sharma is also contemptuous.

The suo motu case against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders was initiated on May 14.

Kejriwal, Sisodia and Pathak had earlier sought Justice Sharma's recusal for the excise policy case in which Kejriwal and other AAP leaders are accused.

However, Justice Sharma rejected their recusal application on April 20.

The judge in that order said that a politician cannot be allowed to sow seeds of mistrust and that the application seeking her recusal amounted to putting the judiciary on trial.

Various posts had appeared on social media against Justice Sharma before and after the order passed by her prompting her to initiate the contempt of court proceedings.

The contempt matter is being by the bench headed by Justice Navin Chawla.