Delhi HC seeks response from AAP’s Gopal Rai, journalist in contempt plea

Key points

• The Delhi High Court on Friday (May 22, 2026) issued notices to AAP leader Gopal Rai and a journalist on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against them over an alleged “orchestrated social media campaign” against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who recently withdrew from hearing the Delhi excise case.
• A Bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja sought the stand of Mr. Rai and Saurav Das over lawyer Ashok Chaitanya’s petition, which also named former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and e AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj as parties.
• Observing that a contempt case has already been initiated against Mr. Kejriwal and others, the Bench listed the case for further hearing on August 4. The petition alleged that while Mr. Kejriwal’s plea seeking recusal of Justice Sharma in the excise policy case was pending, Mr. Rai and Mr. Das launched a social media campaign in a “brazen attempt to exert extra-judicial...