A special CBI court in Chandigarh on Saturday acquitted retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nirmal Yadav in the 2008 cash delivery case, where ₹15 lakh was mistakenly sent to another judge’s residence.
How the Case Unfolded
On August 13, 2008, a clerk at Justice Nirmaljit Kaur’s residence received a packet containing ₹15 lakh in cash. The money, allegedly meant for Justice Yadav, was wrongly delivered due to their similar names. Justice Kaur promptly alerted the Chief Justice and the Chandigarh Police, leading to an FIR three days later.
CBI Investigation and Chargesheet
The case was transferred to the CBI on August 28, 2008. Investigations revealed that the cash was sent by a clerk working for former Haryana Additional Advocate General Sanjeev Bansal. He later claimed it was intended for a man named Nirmal Singh, not Justice Yadav.
The CBI sought permission to prosecute Justice Yadav in 2009, which the high court granted in 2010. Despite her legal challenges, the President of India approved the prosecution in 2011, leading to a chargesheet.
Key Witnesses and Court Proceedings
The prosecution listed 84 witnesses but examined only 69. Earlier this year, the high court allowed the CBI to re-examine 10 more witnesses and urged the trial court to prevent unnecessary delays.
Final Verdict and Questions on Justice
After 17 years of trial, the court acquitted Justice Yadav and all other accused. Following the verdict, Justice Yadav stated, “I have not committed any crime and there is nothing incriminating found during the entire trial against me.”
Does Acquittal Mean Justice?
How often do high-profile corruption cases drag on for years without a definitive conclusion? Does an acquittal mean innocence, or does it expose loopholes in the justice system?