Chandigarh:17 years on, judgment in cash at judge’s door case expected on March 29
Over the 17-year trial period, various judges who held charge of the CBI court heard the case at least 230 times; as many as 69 of the 84 cited witnesses were examined by the prosecution in the case as trial continued over the years
The longest running trial at the District Courts Complex in Chandigarh—the cash-at-judge’s door case involving retired justice Nirmal Yadav—is set to reach a conclusion on Saturday, 17 years after the FIR was registered in 2008.
Special Judge CBI court Alka Malik heard the case on Thursday, and observed that all arguments have been heard and concluded. While reserving its verdict, the court listed the case for March 29, when the final judgment is expected, officials privy to the matter confirmed.
Over the 17-year trial period, various judges who held charge of the CBI court heard the case at least 230 times. As many as 69 of the 84 cited witnesses were examined by the prosecution in the case as trial continued over the years. The Punjab and Haryana high court in February this year had permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to re-examine 12 witnesses.
The court had also directed the CBI to examine the witnesses within four weeks and further asked the trial court to ensure that no unnecessary adjournments were granted.
The trial court had ordered closure of prosecution evidence on March 17, while the process of recording the statements of accused concluded on March 26.
₹15 lakh in cash wrongly delivered
The infamous corruption case involving justice Yadav was first registered by the Chandigarh Police on August 13, 2008. A packet containing ₹15 lakh in cash was mistakenly delivered at the Sector-11 residence of Nirmaljit Kaur, also a judge at the high court, leading to a police complaint and an FIR. Subsequent probe had determined that the cash was actually meant for justice Yadav.
The allegation was that the cash was payback for a favourable judgment in a property dispute in Panchkula in 2007 in favour of Sanjeev Bansal, then Haryana’s additional advocate general, property dealer Rajiv Gupta and Delhi-based hotelier Ravinder Singh Bhasin.
Justice Yadav went on leave after her name figured in the scandal and was subsequently transferred to the Uttarakhand high court.
Within a fortnight of the incident, the case was handed over to the CBI. An internal panel of Supreme Court and the CBI, both cleared justice Nirmaljit Kaur, who was also transferred to the Rajasthan high court in July 2012. She returned to the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2018 and retired in 2021.
In 2009, the CBI filed a closure report saying that no case was made out. However, the CBI court rejected the closure report and ordered the agency to re-investigate the case.
On July 28, 2010, the then Chief Justice of India accorded sanction to CBI to prosecute justice Yadav. The President of India’s nod came on March 1, 2011, and CBI filed a chargesheet in the case on March 3, 2011, a day before justice Yadav was to retire.
Justice Yadav approached the high court and the Supreme Court unsuccessfully on two occasions, challenging the proceedings. In 2013, the CBI court ordered framing of charges against all accused in the case, including justice Yadav.
Some key witnesses, such as the personal security officer of justice Yadav, Renu Bansal (wife of Sanjeev Bansal), Raj Kumar Jindal (cousin of Sanjeev Bansal), and Santosh Tripathi, a former colleague of Sanjeev, had turned hostile over time.
Sanjeev, whose clerk allegedly misheard and thus misdelivered the money to justice Nirmaljeet Kaur’s residence, died of a brain tumour during the pendency of the trial. Sanjeev has also died of cancer since.
