The Uttarakhand High Court’s vigilance cell received 258 complaints against judges and judicial officers of the state’s subordinate judiciary between January 2020 and April 2025. During this period, action was initiated against four officers. The information was shared under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the court.
The details were disclosed after an RTI application filed by Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi. The disclosure came after the intervention of State Chief Information Commissioner Radha Raturi. Last month, the panel directed the High Court PIO to provide the information after taking approval from the competent authority.
Chaturvedi had filed the RTI application in May 2023. However, the request was denied, citing confidentiality and third-party concerns. He also sought to know which authority is empowered to receive complaints of corruption or misconduct against subordinate judges. He asked about the total number of complaints received between January 2020 and April 2025, and how many cases led to disciplinary or criminal action.
In June 2023, the PIO replied but did not share complete information. Chaturvedi then filed an appeal before the First Appellate Authority, but he did not get relief. During the hearing before the State Information Commission, the PIO again stated that the information was confidential and involved third parties. He added that specific complaint details could be shared only after approval from the Chief Justice.
After hearing both sides, the panel ruled that the total number of complaints should be disclosed once proper approval was obtained. It directed the High Court to ensure compliance and submit a report.
Reacting to the development, Chaturvedi’s counsel Sudarshan Goyal said the move was an important step towards transparency and accountability in the justice system. He pointed out that other High Courts, including those in Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Chennai, had refused to share similar information. He said Uttarakhand High Court might be the first in the country to disclose such data.
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