After 17 years, CBI court clears former HC judge Nirmal Yadav, 3 others in cash-at-judge's-door case, acquitting Rs 15 lakh

Former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice Nirmal Yadav, has been acquitted in a corruption case that had been ongoing for 17 years. A special CBI court in Chandigarh delivered the verdict on Saturday, clearing Justice Yadav and three others—Ravinder Singh Bhasin, Rajiv Gupta, and Nirmal Singh—of all charges. Another accused in the case, Sanjeev Bansal, had passed away during the trial.

The ruling was given by Additional Sessions Judge Alka Malik in the special CBI court. Advocate Vishal, representing Justice Yadav, stated, "A false narrative was created that the money was a bribe, but the court has acquitted everyone today."

The Case: 'Cash-at-Judge’s Door' Incident
This case dates back to August 2008, when a packet containing Rs 15 lakh in cash was mistakenly delivered to the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, another judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was alleged that the money was actually intended for Justice Nirmal Yadav, who was serving as a judge in the same court at the time.

On August 13, 2008, when a person came to deliver the packet, he was apprehended, and the police were called. An FIR was registered, and the case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the directions of then UT Administrator SF Rodrigues.

The investigation revealed that the money was sent by Sanjeev Bansal, the former Additional Advocate General of Haryana, through his peon, Parkash Ram. When Ram arrived at Justice Nirmaljit Kaur's house, he claimed that the packet contained documents from Delhi. However, when Justice Kaur asked him to open it, the packet was found to contain cash. Ram was immediately detained, and the case was taken over by the CBI.

CBI Investigation and Charges
On March 4, 2011, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Justice Nirmal Yadav, who had by then been transferred to the Uttarakhand High Court. The chargesheet was filed on the day of her retirement. Alongside her, four others were accused:

Sanjeev Bansal – Lawyer and former Additional Advocate General of Haryana, who allegedly arranged the money delivery.

Ravinder Singh – A businessman from Delhi who reportedly sent the Rs 15 lakh.

Rajiv Gupta – Business partner of Sanjeev Bansal, who allegedly delivered the packet to Justice Yadav on August 14, 2008.

Nirmal Singh – A private individual also linked to the case.

Justice Yadav was transferred from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2009. The CBI charged her under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, while the other accused faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Justice Yadav’s Defence
In 2013, Justice Nirmal Yadav claimed that she was unfairly targeted and that members of the judiciary had conspired against her. After years of legal proceedings, the special CBI court has now acquitted her and the other accused, bringing an end to the long-running case.