Delhi High Court Transfers Judges Amid Paper Leak Cases

Judicial Reshuffle in Delhi High Court

On August 2, the Delhi High Court executed a transfer of 137 judges, including Judge Anu Grover Baliga, who was appointed to a special fast-track court to handle cases related to paper leaks. Judge Baliga had only been in her position for about a week after taking charge on July 25. She will be succeeded by Special Judge Ajay Gupta, who previously oversaw cases linked to paper leaks, including NEET.

According to an order released by the High Court on Saturday, Judge Baliga has been reassigned to a special court established under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, where she will now preside over terrorism-related cases. Other newly appointed judges for NIA cases include Vikas Dhul, Prashant Sharma, Pulastya Pramachal, Kiran Bansal, and Amit Bansal. The High Court had announced the formation of a special court on July 23 to address criminal cases involving paper leaks and other unfair practices in public examinations.

Following this, Judge Baliga was appointed to the fast-track court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously announced the establishment of fast-track courts to ensure swift resolution of paper leak cases. The first hearing for the NEET paper leak case took place on July 27 but was postponed at the request of the defense attorney.

The judge has since rescheduled the case for Monday to consider the CBI's chargesheet and the bail applications of two defendants. The CBI has filed charges against 13 individuals in this case, all of whom are currently in judicial custody.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) canceled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), originally scheduled for May 3, due to allegations of paper leaks, and the exam was subsequently rescheduled for June 21.