P&H High Court suspends judge who cleared Sudhir Parmar in graft case
Synopsis
Two successive judges of the same CBI Court in Panchkula are now suspended — the first for alleged bribery, the second for discharging him. The Punjab and Haryana High Court's swift action after Rajeev Goyal's discharge order exposes a deepening integrity crisis at the heart of a ₹7 crore judicial corruption case involving real estate giants IREO and M3M.
Key Takeaways
The Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended Rajeev Goyal , then Special Judge of the CBI Court, Panchkula , on 29 May in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings.
Goyal had discharged suspended judge Sudhir Parmar , his nephew Ajay Parmar , and three others in a Prevention of Corruption Act case.
Sudhir Parmar was himself suspended in April 2023 following Haryana ACB raids over alleged bribery.
The Enforcement Directorate chargesheeted Sudhir Parmar in 2024 for allegedly receiving ₹7 crore in bribes from IREO and M3M group promoters.
The High Court invoked Article 235 of the Constitution to suspend Goyal; specific grounds were not disclosed in the order.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has placed Rajeev Goyal, the then Special Judge of the CBI Court in Panchkula, under suspension with immediate effect, in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings. The order, issued on 29 May, comes days after Goyal discharged suspended judge Sudhir Parmar and four others in a corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Suspension Order
The High Court invoked Article 235 of the Constitution read with Rule 4(b) of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016, to place Goyal under suspension. The order stated that the Chief Justice and Judges were pleased to suspend Goyal — at the time posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal — with immediate effect.
During the suspension period, Goyal's headquarters will remain at Kaithal, and he has been directed not to leave without prior permission of the District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal. He will be entitled to subsistence allowance under the Haryana Civil Services (General) Rules, 2016. Notably, the High Court order did not disclose the specific allegations or grounds for the proposed disciplinary proceedings.
The Discharge That Triggered Scrutiny
The suspension follows Goyal's decision, while serving as Additional Sessions Judge at Panchkula, to discharge Sudhir Parmar, Parmar's nephew Ajay Parmar, and three representatives of real estate firms in the registered corruption case. The discharge order drew immediate attention given the serious nature of the underlying allegations against Sudhir Parmar.
This is the second judicial officer from the same CBI Court at Panchkula to face suspension — a pattern that raises pointed questions about the integrity of proceedings in cases involving powerful real estate interests.
The Sudhir Parmar Corruption Case
Sudhir Parmar, Goyal's predecessor at the Panchkula CBI Court, was placed under suspension by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April 2023 following raids by the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at his residence in connection with an alleged bribery case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently chargesheeted Sudhir Parmar in 2024 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged bribery racket. The agency had filed its main prosecution complaint in August 2023 and a supplementary complaint in October 2023 against 10 accused persons, including Sudhir Parmar.
According to the ED, Sudhir Parmar allegedly received undue benefits amounting to around ₹7 crore from promoters of the IREO and M3M groups in exchange for extending favours in judicial proceedings. The alleged gratification was reportedly delivered through cash payments and loans transferred into the accounts of his relatives without supporting documentation.
What Happens Next
The High Court's swift action signals that the judiciary's internal oversight mechanism is closely monitoring the Sudhir Parmar case and related proceedings. Formal disciplinary proceedings against Goyal are expected to be initiated, the timeline for which remains unspecified. The ED and ACB investigations into Sudhir Parmar continue, and the discharge order he received may face further legal scrutiny.
Point of View
The other for discharging him. The High Court's speed in acting after the discharge order suggests the judiciary's internal oversight found the decision difficult to defend on its face. What the order conspicuously withholds — the specific grounds — leaves the public without a full accounting. The deeper concern is structural: if the discharge stands until challenged, it hands a procedural win to accused parties in a case the ED has spent two years building. The ₹7 crore IREO-M3M bribery allegation is not a peripheral matter; it goes to whether wealthy real estate interests can purchase judicial outcomes. That question deserves a transparent answer, not just an administrative suspension.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was judge Rajeev Goyal suspended by the Punjab and Haryana High Court?
The Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended Rajeev Goyal on 29 May in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings under Article 235 of the Constitution. The suspension came days after Goyal discharged suspended judge Sudhir Parmar and four others in a Prevention of Corruption Act case, though the High Court order did not specify the exact grounds for the action.
Who is Sudhir Parmar and what are the allegations against him?
Sudhir Parmar is a suspended judge who served at the CBI Court in Panchkula. He was suspended by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April 2023 after Haryana ACB raids, and the Enforcement Directorate chargesheeted him in 2024 for allegedly receiving around ₹7 crore in bribes from promoters of the IREO and M3M real estate groups in exchange for judicial favours.
What was the discharge order that triggered Rajeev Goyal's suspension?
While serving as Additional Sessions Judge at Panchkula, Goyal discharged Sudhir Parmar, his nephew Ajay Parmar, and three representatives of real estate firms in the corruption case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The discharge was granted shortly before the High Court moved to suspend Goyal.
What is the ED's role in the Sudhir Parmar case?
The Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case linked to the alleged bribery racket, submitting its main prosecution complaint in August 2023 and a supplementary complaint in October 2023 against 10 accused persons. The ED alleged that illegal gratification received by Sudhir Parmar was routed into relatives' bank accounts through cash and undocumented loans.
What happens to Rajeev Goyal during the suspension period?
Goyal's headquarters will remain at Kaithal, and he cannot leave without prior permission from the District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal. He is entitled to subsistence allowance under the Haryana Civil Services (General) Rules, 2016, while formal disciplinary proceedings are initiated against him.
