17 Judges, Including Supreme Court Judges, Recused From Sanjiv Chaturvedi Cases Over Years

Seventeen judicial officers — including two Supreme Court judges, four Uttarakhand High Court judges, nine Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) judges and two district judiciary judges — have recused themselves from cases involving Uttarakhand-cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi over the years.

The latest to recuse himself was CAT Delhi Bench judge Rajveer Singh Verma, who stepped aside on September 21 from hearing Chaturvedi’s petition challenging a November 2021 Uttarakhand government order concerning the Appraisal Report Channel for IFS officers.

The September 21 order stated: “After hearing the matter for some time, Hon’ble Mr. Rajveer Singh Verma, Member (J), recuses himself from hearing this matter. The Registry is directed to list the matter before the appropriate Bench and notify the same.”

Verma’s recusal follows several instances in which judges and judicial officers withdrew from cases involving Chaturvedi over the years, citing different circumstances.

In September and October 2025, Uttarakhand High Court judges Justice Alok Verma and Justice Ravindra Maithani recused themselves from hearing a contempt petition filed by Chaturvedi against CAT members and the Registry. The petition alleged wilful disobedience of a high court stay order.

In February 2024, Justice Manoj Tiwari recused himself from a case filed by Chaturvedi seeking documents from the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) relating to his central deputation.

The recusal history dates back to November 2013, when then Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi stepped aside from hearing a petition seeking a CBI investigation into allegations of corruption and harassment raised by Chaturvedi.

In August 2016, then Supreme Court judge Justice UU Lalit also recused himself from the case.