Supreme Court Removes Two Judges from Coal Scam Cases on Delhi HC Request

In a significant judicial shuffle, the Supreme Court of India has officially removed two special sessions judges—Sunaina Sharma and Dheeraj Mor—from handling high-profile coal scam cases in Delhi. Acting upon an unusual administrative request originating from the Delhi High Court, the apex bench noted that the High Court deemed both judges more suitable for alternative institutional responsibilities. The formal directive was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymala Bagchi and V. Mohana, paving the way for immediate administrative restructuring within the special CBI courts.

Unusually Short Tenures and High Court's Rationale

The transfer request came after remarkably brief stints for both judicial officers on the specialized coal scam bench. Justice Sunaina Sharma had assumed office only in January of this year, succeeding the previous presiding judge, Sanjay Bansal, who had managed the special court for nearly four and a half years. Meanwhile, Dheeraj Mor had been appointed as a special judge in April 2025.

The Supreme Court received an official communication from the Registrar General of the Delhi High Court characterizing both officers as having outstanding judicial qualifications and emphasizing that the High Court wished to utilize their specialized expertise for other pressing administrative and judicial responsibilities elsewhere in the system.

New Appointments and Post-Transfer Postings

Accommodating the Delhi High Court's request, the apex court approved the immediate relief of both judges from their CBI coal scam assignments and cleared the appointment of two incoming successors:

• Replacements Appointed: Virendra Kumar Kharta, formerly the special judge of the NDPS court at Saket, will step in to replace Sunaina Sharma. Ajay Garg, previously serving as an additional sessions judge at the Tis Hazari fast-track court, will take over from Dheeraj Mor.

• Current Status of Relieved Judges: Following formal transfer notifications issued by the Delhi High Court on Friday, neither Sharma nor Mor has been assigned a new active judicial courtroom immediately. Instead, official notifications state they have both been attached directly to the office of the Principal District and CBI Sessions Judge.

Directives Regarding Reserved Judgments and Pending Cases

To prevent any disruption to ongoing legal proceedings or prejudice to litigants, the Delhi High Court issued explicit instructions regarding pending matters. Both outgoing judges have been directed to compile a comprehensive list of all cases where judgments or final orders were reserved prior to their departure. Regardless of their transfer, they are mandated to deliver these pending verdicts on their scheduled dates or within a strict window of two to three weeks. Furthermore, these delivery dates must be prominently displayed on the cause lists of both their former and new courts, as well as on the official court website. According to recent judicial data, nearly 29 CBI corruption cases remain pending across the special coal scam courts, with over 27 cases already successfully disposed of.