CBI court clears judge Nirmal Yadav in cash-at-door case

CHANDIGARH: A special CBI court here acquitted former Punjab and Haryana high court judge Nirmal Yadav and three others on Saturday in the 17-year-old high-profile cash-at-judge’s-door case.

Yadav, sitting in her car in the parking of the court complex due to a fractured leg, said she had full faith in the judiciary as the verdict came. Vishal Garg Narwana, the defence lawyer, asserted that the court decision proved that the former judge was innocent and there was no proof against her in the case. “Truth has prevailed,” he said. A copy of the judgment is awaited.

The case emerged in 2008 when a bag with Rs 15 lakh mistakenly ended up at the Chandigarh residence of another judge, Nirmaljit Kaur. She called the police. The probe revealed the money was allegedly intended for Justice Yadav “to influence a decision related to a property deal”. The name of Haryana’s then additional advocate general Sanjeev Bansal also surfaced in the case.

Principal accused Bansal died in 2016
The names of property dealer Rajeev Gupta, Nirmal Singh, and Delhi-based hotelier Ravinder Singh Bhasin also surfaced in the case. The main accused, Bansal, died of an illness in 2016, during the trial, complicating matters. As the probe progressed, Justice Yadav was transferred to Uttarakhand HC and retired in 2011.

The case faced several hurdles. Initially, Chandigarh police probed the matter, but within 15 days it was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 2009, CBI filed a closure report, but CBI court rejected it and ordered a re-investigation. In 2011, CBI filed a chargesheet naming Justice Nirmal Yadav and several others as accused. But, the case was delayed multiple times due to legal complexities.

In 2010, the then chief justice granted permission to prosecute Yadav. After receiving approval from the President in 2011, a chargesheet was filed on March 3, 2011. In 2013, the CBI court framed charges and began the trial. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 affected proceedings. The trial saw over 300 hearings, but frequent lengthy cross-examinations by the defence delayed proceedings.

By 2024, testimony of 76 witnesses was done, with 10 witnesses retracting their statements. CBI special court reserved its judgment on Thursday.