Was the Judge Heard at All: HC examines ED case against Suspended Judge

A suspended senior civil judge has approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash money laundering proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate, arguing that the trial court’s summons violated mandatory procedural safeguards, an intervention that could temporarily stall a prosecution rooted in long-standing bribery allegations dating back to 2016.

The case traces its origin to a Central Bureau of Investigation trap laid nearly a decade ago, when the judge, then posted at Tis Hazari Courts, was arrested along with her husband and a court-appointed local commissioner over alleged acceptance of bribes for passing favourable judicial orders. According to the CBI, a litigant was asked to route Rs. 20 lakh in instalments through the commissioner, with part of the cash allegedly recovered from the judge’s residence.

While all the accused were later granted bail and the judge was suspended, the agency went on to register a disproportionate assets case in 2022. Building on the same factual foundation, the ED registered a money laundering case in 2024, culminating in a trial court summoning the judge in October that year, an order now under challenge.

The plea contends that the trial court acted without adhering to Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, which requires that an accused be heard before cognizance is taken. Assailing the summoning order, the petition states that it was passed “in a slip shod manner, without considering the mandate of law.” The judge has also sought a stay on further proceedings, warning that continuation of the trial would render her challenge meaningless.

The matter, which has already seen changes in roster due to recusals, is next listed for hearing on March 9.

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