Delhi High Court Transfers Special Judge Hearing Paper Leak Cases in Major Judicial Reshuffle
The Delhi High Court has transferred Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga, who had recently been appointed to preside over the designated fast-track court handling paper leak cases, including the high-profile NEET and other public examination leak prosecutions. The transfer comes barely a week after she assumed charge of the newly created court.
The move is part of a wider administrative reshuffle involving 138 judicial officers in the Delhi district judiciary. Under the fresh posting order, Judge Baliga has been assigned to a Special NIA Court, which hears terrorism and national security-related cases. The special fast-track court for paper leak matters will now be headed by Judge Ajay Gupta, who has been entrusted with conducting trials under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act and other related criminal cases.
The transfer has attracted attention because the dedicated fast-track court was established only recently following the Central Government’s push for speedy prosecution of examination fraud cases. The court was intended to exclusively hear cases involving question paper leaks, examination malpractices, and recruitment scams that have affected the credibility of public examinations across the country.
Judge Baliga had already begun proceedings in some of the most closely watched investigations, including the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case, which is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The first hearings before the special court had already witnessed procedural delays after the CBI failed to produce a public prosecutor during initial proceedings, prompting the court to seek immediate compliance from the investigating agency.
While the High Court has not cited any specific reason for the transfer, judicial observers note that such postings are generally part of routine administrative exercises carried out to manage court assignments and judicial workload. There has been no official indication that the transfer is connected to the merits or progress of any pending paper leak investigation.
The change in judicial leadership is unlikely to affect the legal status of ongoing prosecutions, as the special fast-track court itself continues to function. Judge Ajay Gupta is expected to take over all pending matters and continue hearing cases aimed at ensuring quicker trials in examination-related offences. The government has repeatedly emphasized that fast-track courts are central to restoring public confidence in recruitment and competitive examination systems after a series of nationwide paper leak controversies.
