CBI court clears former Punjab and Haryana HC judge in 17-year-old corruption case

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Chandigarh on Saturday acquitted former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmal Yadav and three others in a corruption case dating back to 2008, reported Live Law.

Along with Yadav, Additional Sessions judge Alka Malik also acquitted Ravinder Singh Bhasin, Rajiv Gupta and Nirmal Singh, according to India Today. Another accused person, former Additional Advocate General of Haryana Sanjeev Bansal, died in February 2017. Consequently, the proceedings against him were dropped.

On August 13, 2008, a bag containing Rs 15 lakh in cash was allegedly delivered to the home of another former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur. It was alleged that the cash was meant for Yadav to influence a case pertaining to a property deal. However, it was mistakenly delivered to Kaur’s home due to the judges’ similar names.

A first information report was registered in the case on August 16, 2008. Ten days later, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which filed a fresh FIR on August 28, 2008.

The central agency’s investigation showed that the cash was delivered by a clerk of Bansal, reported The Indian Express. Bansal had allegedly called Kaur and told her that the bag was mistakenly delivered to her.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had sought approval...

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