3 min readNew DelhiMay 22, 2026 10:46 PM ISTThe petition by lawyer Ashok Chaitanya also named AAP convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as parties. (File)The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to AAP leader Gopal Rai and journalist Saurav Das in a plea accusing them of running a “coordinated campaign” against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.The petition by lawyer Ashok Chaitanya also named AAP convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj as parties.Criminal contempt proceedings against Kejriwal and six others, initiated suo motu by the High Court earlier this month, is already pending.Seeking response from Rai and Das, Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja clubbed the matter for hearing with the suo motu criminal contempt proceedings it initiated on May 14, and appointed senior advocate Rajdipa Behura as amicus curiae in the case.“…instead of multiplying the number of matters, this contempt case be also be taken up along with that matter (suo motu criminal contempt proceedings),” the bench directed, while ordering that Kejriwal and Bhardwaj be also served with the latest petition. It also directed the Registry to preserve the social media material relied on in the petition, that Chaitanya told the court, were still online.Chaitanya’s plea has alleged that Das and the AAP leaders, during the hearing of the applications by some AAP leaders, seeking recusal of Justice Sharma from hearing the CBI’s plea challenging the discharge of 23 accused in the alleged liquor policy scam, initiated a “concerted and orchestrated campaign” on X and published and amplified content containing “serious, unfounded, and scandalous allegations” against her.The plea objected to the posts which purportedly highlighted “supposed conflict of interest, bias, and impropriety, based on misleading assertion” in relation to Justice Sharma’s family.Story continues below this adOn May 14, Justice Sharma, in a 68-page order, had accused Kejriwal, Sisodia, Pathak, former party MLA Vinay Mishra, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, party’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharawaj, and Devesh Vishwakarma, who is said to be involved in the party’s social media operations, for alleged contempt of court by publishing “contemptuous material” against Justice Sharma and the judiciary on social media.On Tuesday, the division bench of Justices Chawla and Dudeja had issued notice to the seven AAP leaders and posted the matter for hearing next on August 4.Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:delhi high courtAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement