The Punjab and Haryana High Court refused yet again to allow the withdrawal of a petition seeking to quash a high-profile bribery case involving a sitting trial court judge. The matter, shrouded in layers of judicial intrigue, remains scheduled for detailed hearings in July.
At the center of this controversy is Special Judge Sudhir Parmar, accused by Haryana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau of handing out undue favors to key players from the M3M and IREO real estate groups. Among those tangled in the legal web is M3M Group Director Roop Bansal, who initially sought to have the case dismissed. His plea has become a legal hot potato, having been shuffled among four judges since January amid whispers of forum shopping.
In a rare move, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu took the reins of the case himself after it was pulled from a single-judge bench that had reserved judgment. Justice Nagu has been skeptical of attempts to derail the proceedings, rejecting a request to withdraw the plea and emphasizing that the court will dive into the merits of the case.
Legal arguments raised by senior counsel for Bansal focus heavily on procedural technicalities, especially around the need for prior sanction to prosecute public officials under anti-corruption laws. The court, however, remained unmoved, challenging these claims and asking for clear Supreme Court precedents to back them up.
As the drama unfolds, the Enforcement Directorate adds a weighty allegation: that Judge Parmar allegedly accepted bribes ranging between ₹5 and 7 crore from the developers. This accusation underscores the gravity of the case, which touches on corruption at the intersection of the judiciary and powerful corporate interests.
Despite efforts to pause or dismiss the case, the High Court appears resolute in pursuing the truth, setting the stage for a critical hearing on July 3. The saga promises more twists as lawyers on all sides gear up for what could be a defining moment in the fight against corruption within the justice system.