Supreme Court judge, Justice Sheel Nagu, on Friday (October 9, 2026) recused himself from hearing an appeal filed by the State of Punjab against a State High Court order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into corruption allegations linked to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s office.
The High Court had directed the CBI to probe corruption allegations linked to Chief Minister Mann’s office. The allegations were raised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against public servants and private individuals linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and include corruption in transfers and postings, policy manipulation, cash for tenders, and other serious irregularities. These are very difficult times. One does not know where the attack will come from.
Pronouncing its order on a public interest litigation case on October 5, the High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra had said that, on a cumulative assessment of the material placed on record in the petition, the court was of the view that a fair and transparent investigation was required into the issue. The petitioner in the High Court, advocate Nikhil Saraf, had argued that no action had been forthcoming despite communications from the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 to the Punjab government. Earlier reporting noted: A bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu was to take up the state government’s plea against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s October 5 order, but Justice Nagu opted out after the issue of his previous judicial dealings with some of the petitioners was raised on Thursday. There are 17 other benches and it can go to any other bench,” said Justice Datta, indicating that the matter could be assigned to another bench.
Earlier reporting noted: ‘One does not know where attack will come from’: SC judge recuses from Punjab CBI probe Justice Sheel Nagu on Friday recused himself from hearing the Punjab government’s challenge to a high court order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a criminal case into alleged corruption linked to chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s office, with the Supreme Court observing that it did not know “where the attack will come from” if a judge concerned did not withdraw himself from a case.
Earlier reporting noted: “No, no.
When the case came up for hearing on October 8, Justice Dipankar Datta had orally indicated that Justice Nagu may have to recuse, but said the case file had not reached the latter judge, who would go through them and take a call.
