In a significant hearing, a Special CBI Court in Chandigarh on March 27, 2025 cleared Justice Nirmal Yadav of all charges in a 15-year-old corruption case involving the alleged delivery of Rs. 15 lakh during her tenure as a judge at the Punjab & Haryana High Court. Special Judge, Justice Alka Malik pronounced the acquittal, bringing closure to a legal saga that saw multiple twists, from high-profile investigations to protracted courtroom battles.

The case dates back to August 2008, when a peon mistakenly delivered a bag stuffed with cash to the residence of another judge, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, who immediately alerted authorities. The CBI later claimed the money was intended for Justice Yadav, triggering a scandal that rocked the judiciary.

The probe took a dramatic turn when the CBI sought presidential sanction to prosecute Justice Yadav, a move that was eventually granted in March 2011 after prolonged legal wrangling. By then, Justice Yadav had been transferred to the Uttarakhand High Court and retired shortly after, but the legal storm followed her.

She fought to quash the proceedings, approaching both the Punjab & Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court, but her pleas were dismissed. The apex court, in 2014, even rebuked her for employing "delaying tactics" to stall the trial. "The strategy of filing multiple petitions to protract proceedings cannot be condoned," the bench led by Justice H.L. Dattu observed, refusing to halt the trial.

Over the years, the case saw 69 witnesses examined out of 84 listed by the prosecution, with the CBI even securing permission earlier this year to re-examine 10 key witnesses.

The defense, however, maintained that the evidence was flimsy and circumstantial. "This was always a case of mistaken identity and insufficient proof," argued Justice Yadav’s counsel during the trial. The prosecution’s assertion that the money was a bribe meant for Yadav failed to hold up in court, with the judge noting gaps in the chain of evidence.

Source: NEWS