Story perspectives

Judge Alleges Chief Justice Withdrew PMLA Case Under Pressure

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 4:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Kaul Accuses Chandrachud Withdrawal

Judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul alleges Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud withdrew a judicial-appointments case because of government pressure.
Kaul says Chandrachud urged a “middle path” on petitions challenging PMLA provisions.
The bench heard the PMLA matter for three-and-a-half hours on November 23, 2023 before the Solicitor General requested deferment.
Kaul retired on December 25, 2023.
Justices Khanna and Trivedi favored deferment, so the bench released the matter.

Summary

Dwivedi Praises Chandrachud

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi hailed Chief Justice Chandrachud’s tenure as a “glorious golden period”.
Dwivedi praised Chandrachud’s digitisation, AI tools and the inclusive Mitti Café.
Vikas Singh accused Chandrachud of double-talk and selective case transfers favouring the Centre.
Singh proposed randomising case assignments within categories to curb Chief Justice discretion.
The split reflects broader calls for bench-allocation transparency and judicial independence.

History

Historical Context

India’s current dispute over Chief Justice Chandrachud’s case-allocation echoes the 1993 Supreme Court Judges Case, where a nine-judge bench led by Chief Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah affirmed the collegium’s primacy and barred executive veto. The collegium, later criticised for nepotism—2015 data showed 33 % of Supreme Court judges were sons of former judges—remains un-reformed, fueling fresh tensions.

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Kaul Accuses Chandrachud Withdrawal

Judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul alleges Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud withdrew a judicial-appointments case because of government pressure.
Kaul says Chandrachud urged a “middle path” on petitions challenging PMLA provisions.
The bench heard the PMLA matter for three-and-a-half hours on November 23, 2023 before the Solicitor General requested deferment.
Kaul retired on December 25, 2023.
Justices Khanna and Trivedi favored deferment, so the bench released the matter.

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