CJI Balakrishnan sets panel to probe 'cash scam'

Taking a serious note of the ‘cash-at-judge door’ scam that has malign the judiciary again, the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has constituted a three-member committee to enquire into the Rs 15 lakh bribery case allegedly involving the hand of Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmal Yadav. Besides, a parallel CBI enquiry has also been recommended.

Justice KS Radhakrishnan (Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir HC), Justice Hemant Lakshman Gokhle (Chief Justice of Allahabad HC) and Justice Madan B Lokur (Delhi HC) will probe the case. Justice Gokhle will head the committee set up to unleash the corruption charges’ case involving former additional advocate-general of Haryana, Sanjeev Bansal and three others have been arrested.

Punjab Governor SFR Rodrigues, who is also Administrator General of Chandigarh, has recommended a CBI probe into the scam after consultation with the HC Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur.

Presently the Chandigarh police is investigating the case. The Central Agency will soon set out for Chandigarh and take the records of the case into its supervision from the state police. Considering the sensitivity of the case, the CBI has reportedly been advised to deal the case with utmost sincerity and ensure no local factor could influence the investigation.

The scandal came to light after the clerk, allegedly sent by Additional Advocate General of Haryana Sajeev Bansal, dropped the money at the official residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur. Justice Kaur reported the matter to State High Court Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and local police about an attempt to bribe her by sending a briefcase containing Rs 15 lakh in cash.

Bansal, presently in jail, reportedly confessed during interrogation but said the money was meant for another judge, Nirmal Yadav, who proceeded on leave after her name popped up in the scandal.

Accused Sanjeev Bansal and his associate Rajiv Gupta were remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on Tuesday. Bansal who has reportedly confessed about the delivery of money had earlier made a statement that money was delivered to the residence of judge by mistake. He said the money was meant for payment of a land deal.

Chandigarh police enquiring into the matter reached Solan, Himachal Pradesh and after investigation revealed the money was related to a property deal the judge and her relatives had clinched last week.

The cash scam has added fuel to the judiciary already facing flak by another Provident Fund scam occurred in Ghaziabad district court from where Rs 7 crore was fraudulently siphoned off within a period of 7 years from 2001 to 2007. The main accused, Ashutosh Asthana-a Ghaziabad treasurer, who is presently in jail has named 36 judges includes a Supreme Court judge, 11 Allahabad and Uttarakhand HC judges and 24 District and Session Courts judges of Ghaziabad as the beneficiaries of the scam. The case is under investigation probing by the state agencies.