This is record in judicial history of country as never have so many judges recused from hearing of cases of a particular person.
In an unending spate of recusal of judges from hearing cases of Uttarakhand cadre IFS Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, now 17th judge has recused from hearing his case.
Justice Rajveer Singh Verma of Delhi Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal has also recused from hearing petition regarding challenge to November 2021 order of Uttarakhand government for appraisal report channel of IFS officers, in light of recent Supreme Court ruling of May, 2025.
The order, like previous recusal orders apparently did not mention any specific reason for recusal, making it all the more unusual.
This is record in judicial history of country as never have so many judges recused from hearing of cases of a particular person.
So far two Supreme Court judges, four judges of Nainital High Court, nine judges from CAT including Chairman and two judges from District Judiciary have recused themselves from hearing his cases.
Earlier in September- October, 2025, Justice Alok Verma and Justice Ravindra Maithani, from Nainital High Court, had also recused from hearing case of Chaturvedi, in a contempt case filed by him against CAT Members and Registry, for wilful disobedience of a stay order passed by Uttarakhand High Court
The latest recusal order passed by a bench of Delhi CAT, consisting of Justice Rajeev Singh Verma on September 21 stated, ‘‘After hearing the matter for some time, Rajveer Singh Verma, member (J), recuses himself from hearing this matter”.
In February 2024, Justice Manoj Tiwari, of Nainital High Court, recused himself from hearing case of Chaturvedi, related to summoning of documents from Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) regarding his central deputation.
In May 2023, another Judge of Nainital High Court Justice Rakesh Thapliyal, had recused from hearing Chaturvedi’s case related to summoning of documents of his anti corruption investigation as CVO, AIIMS, in his appraisal report case.
None of the four Nainital High Court judges given any reasons in their recusal orders.
In April 2025, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Neha Kushwaha, had recused from hearing a defamation case filed by Chaturvedi against CAT judge Manish Garg, citing her ‘previous family relations ‘ with another CAT judge D S Mahra.
In February 2025, a division bench of CAT consisting of Harvinder Oberai and B Anand had recused themselves, without citing any reason, by simply directing Registry not to list cases of Chaturvedi before them in future. The bench was hearing a case related to downgrading of appraisal report of Chaturvedi, by then Union Health Minister J P Nadda, when he was Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), AIIMS, Delhi.
In November 2013, the then Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi had recused himself from hearing a case filed by Sanjiv Chaturvedi demanding CBI investigation into the role of then Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupender Singh Hooda and other senior politicians, bureaucrats of State into various corruption cases exposed by him as well as his harassment.
Later on, in August 2016, then Supreme Court Judge UU Lalit had also recused from hearing of this case.
In April 2018, a Shimla court judge had recused himself from hearing of a defamation case filed by Vineet Chowdhary, the then Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh against Sanjiv Chaturvedi. This defamation case was filed after Chaturvedi had sent status report of cases of alleged financial irregularity investigated by him as CVO, AIIMS, to Government of Himanchal Pradesh.
