Delhi HC: Arvind Kejriwal's Deleted Comments in Saurav Das Contempt Case

• A contempt of court case, which is currently ongoing, has been filed against journalist Saurav Das and AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Gopal Rai.
• The case stems from social media posts made by the respondents against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court.
• The offending posts had been deleted by the respondents before being called out for it.

However, in a surprising twist, it was revealed that the offending posts had been deleted by the respondents.

A contempt of court case, which is currently ongoing, has been filed against journalist Saurav Das and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Gopal Rai by Advocate Ashok Chaitanya. The case stems from social media posts made by the respondents against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court. However, in a surprising twist, it was revealed that the offending posts had been deleted by the respondents.

The contempt case is centered around a post made by Das on April 9, where he raised allegations of conflict of interest against Justice Sharma. The post was in response to the CBI's challenge to the discharge of Arvind Kejriwal and others in the excise policy case. While Justice Sharma was initially hearing this challenge, a Delhi court cleared Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case on February 27, 2026, and the CBI's appeal against this discharge is now pending before another bench of the High Court. Chaitanya argued that even though the material appeared to have been deleted, he had digital records with him, which he requested permission to place before the Court.

The implications of this case are far-reaching and raise important questions about freedom of speech and the limits of contempt of court. The fact that the respondents deleted their social media posts after being called out for it suggests a lack of accountability and transparency. This case highlights the need for public figures to be mindful of their online presence and the potential consequences of their actions.

Lawyers and compliance officers should watch for the potential implications of this case on freedom of speech and the limits of contempt of court, particularly in the context of social media posts made by public figures.

Source: Original reporting via Bar & Bench