Suspended DRT judge moves SC for urgent hearing on plea against suspension extension  

Presiding Officer of Chandigarh's Debts Recovery Tribunal-2, MM Dhonchak, has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Delhi High Court for an urgent hearing on his plea challenging the extension of his suspension.

Dhonchak, a senior judicial officer, contended that repeated delays in deciding his interim relief plea would render his case meaningless as his tenure ends on February 21, 2026.

In his Special Leave Petition (SLP), Dhonchak termed his suspension "arbitrary and illegal", arguing that despite there being no allegations against his integrity, he was being "hounded, harassed and punished" for being a fearless and honest judge. His original suspension on February 13, 2024, for 90 days was twice extended for six months each.

Dhonchak submitted that his petition had been treated like an ordinary litigant’s case, despite its impact on thousands of pending cases at DRT-2. He pointed out that no substitute had been provided in his absence, leading to the tribunal's near closure and daily adjournments of around 100 cases. He added that further delays in his case would worsen the backlog and increase litigation before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Raising a broader legal question, Dhonchak asked whether a judge’s plea against suspension should be treated with the same urgency as a common litigant’s case, given its consequences for the justice system. He urged the Supreme Court to intervene, claiming that an unresolved suspension would not only end his career in uncertainty but also paralyse the functioning of DRT-2, which has nearly 10,000 pending cases.