PIL seeks action against Arvind Kejriwal for ‘illegally’ sharing Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma’s courtroom footage

The PIL urges the high court to take stringent action against those responsible for recording and disseminating the video, including initiating contempt proceedings and directing social media platforms to immediately take down the content.

“Such unauthorised sharing of court recordings is a direct contravention of the established norms and rules governing court proceedings. It poses a serious threat to the fair administration of justice, compromises the privacy and security of the parties involved, and undermines the authority of the court,” says the PIL.

The PIL alleges that Arvind Kejriwal and various leaders of Aam Aadmi Party shared recordings of the court proceedings to malign the image of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. (File Image)

Background: April 13 hearing

The controversy stems from a hearing held on April 13 before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court. During the proceedings, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was permitted to argue in person on his application seeking the judge’s recusal in a case linked to the Delhi liquor policy matter.

According to the petition, Kejriwal argued his case for approximately 45-50 minutes, after which video clips of the proceedings began circulating widely across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Allegations of unauthorised recording, circulation

• The petitioner, seeking action against Arvind Kejriwal and others contends that the recording and dissemination of the court proceedings were carried out in violation of established legal norms.
• “The unauthorised recording of court proceedings and posting the same on social media platforms is in contravention of the applicable rules,” the plea states, referring specifically to the Electronic Evidence and Video Conferencing Rules, 2025, which prohibit recording without express court permission.
• The petition alleges that multiple political leaders and public figures shared or reposted the video, amplifying its reach and potentially influencing public perception of the judiciary.

‘Preplanned conspiracy’ claim

The plea, seeking action against Arvind Kejriwal and others claims that the circulation of the video was not incidental but orchestrated.

“The circumstances in which the audio/video recording of the court proceedings was done and shared, retweeted and posted by various political leaders and the way it went viral smells deep conspiracy by Arvind Kejriwal and various leaders of Aam Aadmi Party to malign the image of this noble institution…to show the general public that the judiciary is working on the behest of some political parties and also under the pressure of the central government,” says the PIL.

It further alleges that the act was intended to portray the judiciary as biased and functioning under political pressure, thereby eroding trust in the justice system.

Social media amplification

The petition, seeking action against Arvind Kejriwal and others lists several instances where political leaders allegedly posted or reshared the video clips along with commentary.

One cited post described Arvind Kejriwal’s arguments as “very courageous” and suggested that the presiding judge should recuse herself. The petition argues that such posts, combined with video snippets, risk distorting the context of judicial proceedings.

The petitioner, advocate Vaibhav Singh also claims that despite complaints sent on April 15, 2026, to platforms including Google, Meta, and X Corp., no effective action was taken to remove the content.

Legal grounds: Violation of 2025 rules

At the heart of the petition, seeking action against Arvind Kejriwal and others is an alleged breach of the Electronic Evidence and Video Conferencing Rules, 2025, notified by the Delhi High Court.

The rules clearly state, “Unless expressly permitted by Court, no person… shall record or publish the proceedings… There shall be no unauthorized recording.”

The petitioner argues that the viral video directly violates these provisions and undermines procedural safeguards designed to ensure fair trials and judicial independence.

Concerns over judicial integrity

The plea emphasises broader implications beyond the immediate incident, warning of a “disturbing trend” of unauthorised courtroom recordings.

It argues that such practices can misrepresent judicial proceedings through selective editing, create undue public pressure on judges, discourage candid participation by litigants and witnesses and erode institutional credibility.

“Unauthorised recordings can be easily edited, manipulated, or taken out of context,” the petition notes, highlighting risks of misinformation.