Fresh notice to Justice Nirmal Yadav, next hearing on July 9

A special CBI court in Chandigarh on Wednesday issued fresh summons to former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nirmal Yadav in connection with the 2008 “cash-at-judge’s door” scam as earlier notice seeking her personal appearance was not served.

While four other accused in the case, currently on bail, were present, Justice Yadav did not appear in the Court on Wednesday.

The CBI court served another notice to her and adjourned the case till July 9.

The earlier notice seeking Justice Yadav’s appearance could not be served at her Gurgaon residence.

Special Judge Ritu Tagore also took signed joint statements from the other four accused that the copy of the charge sheet had been supplied to them.

On April 30, taking cognisance of the offences in the charge sheet filed by the CBI against Justice Yadav on March 4, hours after she retired as a judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, and others, the Special Judge had issued notices to them for personal appearance for Wednesday.

On April 6, the CBI had submitted an 126-page documentary evidence in the case.

The CBI had named sacked solicitor general of Punjab Sanjeev Bansal, hoteliers Ravinder Singh, Rajeev Gupta and Nirmal Singh, besides naming Justice Yadav, who was posted as a Judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court when the alleged scam surfaced.

The agency had filed a charge sheet against Justice Yadav and four others for alleged criminal conspiracy and corruption.

Justice Yadav was later transferred to Uttarakhand.

The 25-page charge sheet was filed in the court of the special CBI Judge in Chandigarh under various sections, including 120-B of the IPC relating to conspiracy and sections 11 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In a rare move against the higher judiciary, the other charges for which Justice Yadav was booked included fabricating false evidence and destruction of evidence.

The case had rocked the Punjab and Haryana High Court after Rs. 15 lakh was wrongly delivered at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, another judge of the High Court in Chandigarh, on August 13, 2008 following which she reported the matter to the Chandigarh Police. The money was said to have been delivered there due to confusion over names.

The money was allegedly delivered by Parkash Ram, a clerk of Bansal.

The Court was on Wednesday informed by the defence counsel that Parkash Ram had been found innocent in the case.

The charge sheet against Justice Yadav was filed after President Pratibha Patil gave clearance for her prosecution.

Justice Yadav had denied the allegation that the money was meant for her and went on leave after the case surfaced.