The Supreme Court has ordered that the disproportionate assets (DA) case against former Allahabad High Court judge Justice (retd) Shri Narayan Shukla be shifted from Lucknow to the Delhi court already hearing a corruption case against him.
The order was passed on October 14 by a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, on a transfer petition filed by the former judge.
Shukla retired in July 2020 after allegations that he took a bribe to pass an order favouring Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences, a Lucknow-based medical college that the Medical Council of India (MCI) had barred from admitting students in May 2017.
Why the transfer was sought
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet in the corruption case, and the trial is pending in Delhi. During that investigation, the agency registered a second case in 2023, accusing Shukla of acquiring assets worth over ₹2.5 crore beyond his known income between 2014 and 2019. The trial in this case was proceeding before a CBI court in Lucknow. Since it grew out of the earlier corruption case, Shukla asked for it to be moved to Delhi.
Allowing the plea, the court directed: “Sessions Case No.737/2026 titled “CBI v. Narayan Shukla & Anr.”, which is pending before the Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, CBI, West Lucknow, U.P. is ordered to be transferred to the Court of Special Judge (PC Act) CBI, Rouse Avenue Court, Central District, New Delhi.”
The court also told the accused and the family members named in the DA case to cooperate fully and avoid seeking unnecessary adjournments. It asked the CBI to identify official witnesses who can be examined by video conferencing so the trial moves faster.
Arguments before the court
Advocate Sanjay Mani Tripathi, appearing for the former judge, argued that the DA proceedings arise from the same FIR and charge sheet as the bribery case pending in Delhi. He pointed out that although the DA case FIR was filed in Delhi, the trial was being held in Lucknow.
Additional Solicitor General Davinder Pal Singh, representing the CBI, did not oppose the request. He said the agency had no difficulty with both trials being heard by a competent court in Delhi. The CBI has already filed a charge sheet in the DA case as well.
The bribery allegations
According to the case, Shukla, then a judge of the Allahabad High Court, passed an order on August 25, 2017, in favour of Prakash Education Trust, allowing the debarred college to admit students. The CBI registered a case against him and others in December 2019 and filed a charge sheet in December 2021 before the Special Judge for CBI cases at Rouse Avenue Courts.
Investigators allege that Shukla facilitated the order in a conspiracy with retired Orissa High Court judge Justice (retd) IM Quddusi, the college’s owners Bhagwan Prasad Yadav and Palash Yadav, and intermediaries Bhawana Pandey and Sudhir Giri.
The MCI had barred Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in 2017 over inadequate facilities. It was among 47 medical colleges restrained from admitting students for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 sessions. The CBI says PIMS challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, withdrew the petition, and then filed a fresh plea in the High Court. Shukla allegedly met the college owner, along with Quddusi, at his residence, after which a bench including Shukla passed the favourable order.
Action against Shukla
The CBI sought then-CJI Dipak Misra’s approval for a probe against Shukla, who was a sitting judge at the time. An in-house committee set up by the CJI found him guilty of judicial misconduct, which established grounds for his removal under the Constitution. All judicial and administrative work was withdrawn from him while the investigation continued.
In July 2019, the CBI sought then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s permission to prosecute Shukla. Gogoi granted it and also recommended to the Centre that Shukla be removed. The matter was still pending when Shukla retired in July 2020.
