The Delhi High Court has transferred a special judge of Rouse Avenue court amid allegations of demanding a bribe for granting bail to the accused in a GST-related case registered in 2023.
On May 16, 2025, an FIR was registered against his court staff (Record Keeper) under sections related to corruption in this regard. The High Court issued the transfer order of the special judge in question from Rouse Avenue Court on May 20.
Court staff approached the High Court to quash the FIR. However, the High Court has not granted him any immediate relief. However, a notice has been issued to the State. During a hearing before Justice Amit Mahajan on May 20, additional counsel for the State submitted that the relevant material had already been sent to the Principal Secretary of Law, Government, NCT of Delhi, in January 2025, was submitted before the Administrative Committee of this Court through the Registrar General.
It was further submitted that sufficient material is on record to justify the allegations made in the FIR, which requires investigation.
Senior Counsels Mohit Mathur, appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that the present FIR has been registered after an order dated May 16, 2025 passed by the Special Judge,(PC Act), Rouse Avenue Courts, whereby the show cause was issued against the Joint Commissioner Anti-Corruption Branch as to why reference for contempt of Court not to be made to the High Court.
It is further submitted that the petitioner was posted as an Ahlmad (record keeper) with the said Court and that the present FIR was registered on May 16, 2025.
The high court listed the matter for a hearing on May 29. Petitioner court staff has prayed to the High court to transfer the case from the Anti-Corruption Bureau to the Central Court Bureau of Investigation for fair and proper investigation and or it may be directed that the present allegations against the petitioner may be clubbed and investigated by the same investigating officer of the CBI as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
He has also sought a direction for a departmental enquiry against two officers of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Government of NCT of Delhi for alleged underhand dealings, corruption, blackmailing, criminal intimidation, abuse of office, misuse of state machinery, forgery, and fabrication of documents, abduction intimidation of witnesses, and destruction of official record. He has sought protection from victimisation by officers of the Anti-Corruption Branch in accordance with Section 11(2) of the Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2011.
Meanwhile, the accused court staff moved the trial court for anticipatory bail, which was dismissed on May 22.
Special Judge Deepali Sharma dismissed the accused’s anticipatory bail application. However, the court has directed the ACB to give a prior notice under section 41, 41 A CrPc (Section 35 of BNSS ) in the event of arrest, if any.
(with inputs from ANI)
