Arvind Kejriwal, Centre On Online Gaming Rules, NCLAT on Vedanta Plea & More

“A judge never truly retires. Once a judge, always a judge.” 

-Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on retired judges being a well of legal knowledge to be utilised even post-retirement.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Fight for Judge's Recusal

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s fight to secure the removal of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma from his case continues to intensify, with neither side willing to yield. While Kejriwal is contesting Justice Sharma’s presence on the bench to hear his case on grounds of perceived apprehension of bias, his plea has been dismissed by the judge herself.

It is pertinent that the judge he has petitioned against is the same judge who adjudicated upon it. Not only did she rebut Kejriwal’s claims, but she effectively ruled on a matter involving her own recusal, choosing not to step away from the case.

Following this refusal, Kejriwal has escalated the matter by writing to Justice Sharma stating that he will not appear before her— a move likely to attract both support and sharp criticism. By deciding her own recusal plea and issuing a judicial ruling on it, Justice Sharma, in effect, sat in judgment over her own cause. The result is that the litigant is left without a remedy for his stated apprehension of bias. In that context, Kejriwal’s decision to boycott proceedings becomes a pointed illustration of a foundational principle: justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done.

Key Rulings:

Courts: 

• Bombay High Court quashes Indian federal government’s Atomic Energy Department’s order refusing patent to US-based Huntington Alloys Corporation for boiler header alloy

• Delhi High Court seeks minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s daughter on petition to lift blocking orders of content that links her to Jeffrey Epstein

• Arvind Kejriwal gets Delhi High Court notice on contempt plea over publication of videos from court proceedings before Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma’s courtroom

• Delhi High Court refuses to entertain PIL petition over gas shortage, says government doing everything it can

• Supreme Court seeks pan-India data on delays by NCLTs in approving plans

Quasi Courts:

• NCLAT reserves its order on Vedanta’s plea against approval for Adani’s bid for Jaiprakash Associates

Others:

• Centre notifies Online Gaming Rules, 2026 which bar all real-money gaming

The Big Listings:

• Apr 30: Supreme Court to hear PIL petition seeking tighter probe into Anil Ambani’s fraud allegations

• May 5: Supreme Court to hear challenge to Citizenship Amendment Act

• Jun 23: Securities Appellate Tribunal to hear appeal by Jane Street challenging SEBI’s move to allegedly refuse access to important documents to the firm in the case against it

• Jul 15: Delhi High Court to hear Apple Inc.’s plea against India’s competition law’s provisions on global turnover-based penalties on MNC

* The dates of hearing can change and a concrete list is prepared just a day before

Legal Moves: 

• Centre notifies appointment of:

• Preeta Ak as a judge of the Kerala High Court

• Justice Lisa Gill as chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court

• SNG & Partners opens a new office in GIFT city

• Gaurav Rana opens a boutique law firm Rana & Partners

• Nitin Bhuwaniya joins Juris Prime Law Services as partner

• Faraz Alam of CAM joins CMS Induslaw as Head of dispute resolution

• Namrata Bhagwatula and Aneesh Gupte made partners at SAM’s corporate practice

• Aneesh Gupte of Desai & Diwanji joins SAM as partner

• Inder Mohan of SAM starts a boutique corporate firm IMX Lex Advisory