The Delhi High Court on Friday stated that it will give a detailed order on Monday in relation to the appointment of three senior advocates as amicus curiae in the case of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appeal in the excise policy case in regard to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and Aam Aadmi Party leader Durgesh Pathak.
It follows the three leaders’ decision to boycott the court proceeding, which led the court to reflect on the need to have amicus curiae to represent them fairly. A bench presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma pointed out that some people’s consent was pending before making the appointments.
At the hearing, the judge noted that at the moment there are no legal representatives present for three of the accused, and emphasized the importance of providing adequate legal support. The bench said, ‘We are waiting till Monday when we will list it and we will have an amicus too from some people who will be representing.’
The case is on the basis of an order passed by the trial court on February 27, which had dismissed CBI’s case against Kejriwal, Sisodia and 21 others in the so-called excise policy scam. The CBI has approached the high court after the trial court had found that the data submitted by the agency was not even prima facie against the accused.
The CBI is challenging the discharge order to revive the corruption case that was one of the most prominent in Delhi and was dropped when the excise policy was scrapped.
The Delhi High Court is likely to re-consider the issue on Monday following the due process and representation challenges as it considers the appointment of amicus curiae to carry on with the hearings without the participation of the accused.