AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and other accused in the excise policy case have written to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, urging him to transfer the case from Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, have sought the transfer of the case to an "impartial" bench of the High Court, the party said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kejriwal and others have, in a written representation to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, accused Justice Sharma of "bias", according to the statement.

The former chief minister of Delhi and 22 other accused were recently discharged in the excise policy case by a CBI court.

The Delhi High Court had, on Monday, sought a response from former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and others on the CBI’s appeal seeking to quash the trial court’s February 27 order discharging the accused in the liquor policy case.

Among others, former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Telangana Jagruthi president K. Kavitha have also been asked to file a reply to the CBI’s appeal.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while issuing notice to Kejriwal and 22 others, said the trial court’s “scathing remarks” against the investigating officer needed consideration and stayed its direction recommending departmental action against the officer.

The high court also said it would issue an order directing the trial court to defer proceedings to a later date in the connected money-laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.