Chief Justice Sheel Nagu Recuses Himself from Roop Bansal’s Bribery FIR Case

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has recused himself from hearing a petition filed by M3M Group director Roop Bansal, who is seeking the quashing of a 2023 FIR that accuses him of attempting to bribe a lower court judge.

The case, Roop Bansal vs State of Haryana and Others, pertains to an FIR registered on April 17, 2023, by the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau. The FIR names Roop Bansal, former CBI special judge Sudhir Parmar, and Parmar's nephew, Ajay Parmar, as accused in an alleged conspiracy to influence judicial proceedings.

Initially, the matter was being heard by a single-judge bench, which had already reserved its decision. However, the Chief Justice later withdrew the case from that bench and brought it before his own court.

During the latest proceedings on Thursday, Justice Nagu asked Roop Bansal’s legal team whether they had any objections to his hearing the case, noting that he had already dealt with the matter on the administrative side. He raised a key point regarding judicial propriety, questioning whether his involvement could compromise the perception of impartiality: “Justice must not only be done but also seen to be done.”

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Bansal, confirmed that the defense intended to raise concerns about this issue. Following this, Chief Justice Nagu directed the case to be sent back to the administrative side for reassignment to another bench.

Meanwhile, Senior Counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing the Enforcement Directorate, countered that administrative decisions by the Chief Justice should have no bearing on the judicial process. He asserted that administrative roles and judicial responsibilities must be viewed as separate.