'Heavy Costs Should Be Imposed': Delhi HC On Former AAP MLA's Plea Seeking Removal Of Kejriwal As CM

Delhi High Court on Monday said heavy costs should be imposed on former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sandeep Kumar, who filed a plea seeking removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of chief minister.

Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that similar petitions had already been disposed of by a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan. Criticising the petitioner, he said, “Heavy costs should be imposed on you.”

Justice Prasad said that when similar matters had already been heard and rejected by the division bench, then this plea should also be transferred before Acting Chief Justice’s bench.

He remarked that this plea, moved by the former AAP leader, was nothing but a publicity interest petition, Bar and Bench reported.

The matter has now been listed for hearing before the Acting Chief Justice bench for Wednesday (April 10).

With this, the High Court has dismissed the third petition seeking removal of Kejriwal as the Delhi Chief Minister.

Last week, the court had refused to entertain another PIL (public interest litigation) moved by Hindu Sena’s president Vishnu Gupta, which sough the removal of the AAP supremo from the post of CM.

The court had said that it would Kejriwal’s personal call on whether he would continue as the chief minister of the national capital. “At times, personal interest has to be subordinate to national interest but that is his personal call,” the High Court was quoted as saying.

A PIL filed by a Delhi resident, Surjit Singh Yadav, was dismissed by the High Court on March 28. The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora clarified that it won’t enter the political gimmick.

“It is for the other wings of the government to examine in accordance with the law,” the bench had said.

Former AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar’s plea had said that Kejriwal’s continued hold on the CM’s office not only brings up constitutional complications but also violates the Right to Life guarantee of the people of Delhi, Bar and Bench reported.

Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody in Delhi’s Tihar Jail till April 15. The AAP chief had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the excise policy case.

The federal agency, in court, had said that Kejriwal was the “kingpin” and the “key conspirator” of the scam.