The Chief Justice of India, S.H. Kapadia has given a green signal to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) to probe the alleged role of Justice Nirmal Yadav (pictured) of the Uttarakhand High Court. The “Solan land scam” could lead to a possibility of re-opening the “cash-at-door” also, "cash-in'bag" controversy for Justice Yadav.

Early this year Justice Yadav was transferred from the Punjab & Haryana High Court to the Uttaranchal High Court as she was named in the cash-at-door scandal.

Having filed closure report in the Trial Court last year, the CBI demanded revival of the case by inquiring about the irregular purchase of land in Solan, by Justice Yadav and her relatives. CBI claims that the cash delivered mistakenly at the doorstep of Justice Kaur was actually meant for Justice Yadav for payments to be made towards the Solan land deal. What delayed the progress in the ongoing investigation was an observation in the file by an investigating officer, requiring  fresh permission from the CJI for proceeding with the probe into the land scam.

The Indian Express reports an in-house committee, constituted by previous CJI K.G. Balakrishnan, had concluded that a packet of Rs. 15 lakh ($32,500) which was delivered to the residence of another judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, on August 13, 2008 was actually meant for Justice Yadav. Justice Yadav denied all allegations in this regard. Last year, the Law Ministry had given Justice Yadav a clean chit on the advice of then Attorney General Milon Banerjee who said that the agency did not have evidence to prosecute Justice Yadav in the case.

The Times of India has reported that Justice Yadav was kept off from judicial work for more than a year at the Punjab & Haryana High Court before she was moved to the Uttarakhand High Court. The CBI claims it has evidence to link the mistaken delivery of Rs. 15 lakh ($32,500) at Justice Nirmaljit Kaur’s residence, although the cash-in-bag was meant for Justice Nirmal Yadav.

With the approval of the CJI Justice S.H. Kapadia, the CBI now can investigate both, the “Solan land purchase” and the “cash-at-door” controversy against Justice Nirmal Yadav .