Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu has recused himself from hearing a petition filed by Roop Bansal, director of real estate firm M3M, seeking to quash a corruption case registered against him by the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The FIR, dated April 17, 2023, names Bansal, suspended special CBI judge Sudhir Parmar, and others under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The case pertains to alleged corruption and judicial misconduct.
When the matter came up for hearing on July 3, Chief Justice Nagu asked the petitioner’s counsel if they had any objection to him taking up the matter. The counsel responded that the petitioner preferred the case be heard by a different bench. Consequently, the matter was marked to another bench.
The case had previously been withdrawn from a single judge by the chief justice on the administrative side in May this year following “oral and written” complaints. The judge had already reserved judgment at the time of withdrawal, leading to objections from Bansal’s legal team. They argued that a case once heard and reserved could not be withdrawn.
In a detailed order justifying the withdrawal, Chief Justice Nagu asserted that as the master of the roster, the chief justice holds “wide, pervading and plenary” powers. The decision, the court noted, was taken to “preserve the dignity and honour” of the institution and to safeguard the “reputation and dignity” of the concerned judge.
