GURUGRAM: The bar association of Gurgaon has lodged a complaint with the Punjab and Haryana High Court against a recently retired city court judge, alleging that he ruled in favor of a prominent local developer in a land dispute case.
The association contends that the judge’s decision grossly violated the principles of judicial integrity, impartiality, and dignity expected from a member of the judiciary.
In its complaint, the bar highlighted the rushed and seemingly orchestrated nature of the proceedings related to a case worth hundreds of crores, indicating potential personal interest or external pressure, which undermines the tenet of impartial judgment.
President of the bar, Nikesh Yadav, remarked that the proceedings were conducted with unprecedented haste just before the judge’s retirement, necessitating an investigation to uphold the judiciary’s integrity. “This incident has eroded the legal community’s and public’s trust in the sanctity of judicial processes,” he stated.
The developer initiated the case in November 2024 before a civil judge, which was postponed seven times until March 2025. The next hearing in May marked the involvement of the aforementioned judge. The case was scheduled for further discussion in December 2025. Following a request from the developer on July 10 for an expedited hearing, the court proceeded to hear the case daily. The judgment was rendered on July 25, with the judge retiring shortly thereafter on July 31.
“This behavior, by granting relief without a thorough and reasoned order, effectively bestows undue advantage to the plaintiff company and fuels suspicion of procedural irregularities,” Yadav added, stressing that there was no legitimate urgency justifying moving the hearing up by over five months when numerous cases are pending urgent attention.
The complaint also alleged that the judge who first heard the case acted as a go-between for the company and the presiding judge. “The evident collusion between serving and retired judicial officers to secure favorable outcomes for a private litigant in a significant financial case warrants immediate investigation at the highest administrative level,” the complaint asserted.
The bar has requested that the district and sessions judge in Gurgaon obtain and secure CCTV footage from the judge’s official chambers for the duration of July 1 to July 30, 2025.
In April 2022, the developer secured 3.5 acres of land in Sector 43 through an e-auction held by HSVP, making an initial payment of ₹123 crore. However, due to delays in settling the remaining balance, HSVP decided to forfeit the deposit and began canceling the allotment, prompting the developer to seek judicial intervention.
