HC gives Kejriwal, Sisodia last chance to reply to ED plea on trial court remarks

New Delhi: Delhi High Court Thursday made it clear it is giving a final opportunity to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and others to file their stand on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate to expunge “unwarranted” remarks made against it by the trial court while discharging them in the liquor policy case.Noting that none of the respondents, except one, furnished their replies, even after seeking time on the last date of hearing, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said she will start hearing arguments in the case on April 22.“Last opportunity is granted to file reply, failing which the right to file reply will stand closed. Arguments will be heard on the next date of hearing,” the judge said.Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, pointed out that except Vinod Chauhan, none of the respondents had chosen to file replies to the petition.On March 19, the court had granted time till April 2 to Kejriwal and the other respondents to respond to the ED’s plea seeking expunction of certain observations made against it.ED had earlier argued there is no need for Kejriwal and others to file replies as the challenge in the plea is limited to the trial judge’s observations against the agency, which has no impact on the respondents’ discharge.In the petition, the ED said the trial court’s remarks were wholly extraneous to the CBI’s case.

It said the ED was neither a party in those proceedings nor afforded any opportunity to be heard.“If such sweeping, unguided and bald observations are permitted to stand, grave and irreparable prejudice would be caused to the public at large as well as the petitioner,” the ED said, contending that the remarks amounted to judicial overreach and deserved to be expunged.