CHANDIGARH: Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has recused himself from a plea aimed at quashing a corruption case against real estate developer Roop Bansal.
On April 17, 2023, Bansal, director of M3M real estate, filed a petition against an FIR registered by the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Panchkula.
During a hearing on July 3, the Chief Justice questioned the petitioner’s counsel regarding any objections to his involvement after the matter was withdrawn from a single judge’s review. The counsel indicated that their client preferred a different bench for the case.
Consequently, the matter was reassigned to another bench.
Earlier in May, the Chief Justice had withdrawn the case from the single judge following “oral and written” complaints received after the judge had reserved his judgment on the matter.
The Chief Justice later established a new bench that included himself.
Despite objections from the petitioner’s counsel about the withdrawal from a previously heard case, the Chief Justice asserted his authority, noting the expansive powers granted to the high court’s top judge as the master of the roster. He emphasized this action aimed to “preserve the dignity and honour” of the institution and protect the judge’s “reputation and dignity.”
The FIR against Bansal, Sudhir Parmar (then Panchkula special CBI judge), and others involves relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC from April 2023.
