Haryana judicial paper-leak case: Trial court gets three more months to conclude trial

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 4

The Delhi High Court has granted three more months to a trial court to conclude the proceedings in a case relating to the alleged leak of the 2017 Haryana Civil Services (Judicial) preliminary examination paper.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who had earlier directed that the matter be taken up on daily basis, said the court would appreciate if the Principal District and Sessions Judge, before whom the trial was going on, took up the matter on a day-to-day basis and granted adjournments to the parties only for unavoidable reasons. Justice Sharma posted the matter for further hearing on September 9.

Balwinder Kr Sharma, a former Registrar (Recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, is the main accused in the case that was transferred to Delhi from Chandigarh on the top court’s orders in February 2021.

The trial judge wrote to the HC that the case record was voluminous as seven chargesheets had been filed against the accused.

There were 19 accused and 85 witnesses in the case, which was at the stage of defence evidence, the trial court judge wrote, seeking at least six months for disposal of the case.

Despite the HC’s directions, the matter was not taken up on a daily basis, Special Public Prosecutor Charanjit Singh Bakshi and Chandigarh Administration counsel Amit Sahni said, requesting the HC to direct the trial court to take up the matter on daily basis.

Terming the Haryana Civil Services (Judicial) Preliminary Exam, 2017 paper leak case as a “serious matter”, the Delhi HC in January this year asked the trial court to take it up on day-to-day basis and complete the trial positively by April 15. Justice Sharma noted that the counsel for both parties have undertaken to cooperate in the expeditious trial before the trial court.

The case related to the leakage of the Haryana Civil Services (Judicial Branch) Preliminary Examination, 2017. The question paper allegedly remained in the custody of petitioner Balwinder Kumar Sharma, Registrar (Recruitment) from the time it was finalised till its dispatch to the examination centre.

It was alleged that he had given a copy of the question paper to accused Sunita who further passed it on one Sushila and carried out negotiations with Suman for supplying a copy of the question paper to her for consideration of money.

Case shifted to Delhi in 2021

• Balwinder Sharma, ex-Registrar (Recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana HC, is the main accused in the case
• The case was transferred to Delhi from Chandigarh on the top court’s orders in February 2021

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