Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice recuses from hearing trial judge bribery case

Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu on Thursday recused from hearing a plea seeking quashing of a bribery case involving a trial court judge [Roop Bansal vs State of Haryana].

The Chief Justice made the decision after noting that he had earlier dealt with the matter on the administrative side while considering complaints regarding a single-judge of the High Court who was initially hearing the matter.

Interestingly, this objection was raised by the petitioners earlier too but the CJ had then maintained that there is no express or implied bar on Chief Justice to withdraw any case which is heard and reserved by any particular bench.

The case registered by Anti-Corruption Bureau of Haryana accuses judicial officer Sudhir Parmar (Special Judge CBI/PMLA) of extending undue favours to owners of M3M and IREO Group in a money laundering case.

M3M Group Director Roop Bansal, a co-accused, has sought quashing of the case.

Bansal's plea is now at the heart of a controversy – four judges have been assigned the matter since January.

Following certain complaints, Justice Nagu had in May de-listed it from single-judge Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu of the High Court who had heard the matter at length and reserved it for judgment.

Chief Justice Nagu then started hearing the case himself.

Pertinently, the petitioners had told Justice Nagu's bench on May 12 that he cannot hear the case since the matter was heard, reserved and listed for pronouncement by Justice Sindhu.

However, Chief Justice Nagu, in a judicial order on May 23, said that there was no express or implied bar on Chief Justice to withdraw any case which is heard and reserved by any particular bench.

Further, had had on May 27 also rejected a request by the petitioner for withdrawal of the plea.

The present recusal comes after these developments.

As per the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has filed a separate complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) against the accused, the trial judge Parmar had received illegal gratification to the tune of ₹5 to 7 crore from owners/promoters of IREO Group and M3M Group.

The co-accused, Bansal, moved the High Court in October 2023 to quash the FIR but withdrew the plea in January 2025. He then filed the present plea. Different senior lawyers have appeared in the matter from time to time.