Seventeen Judges Step Away From Cases Involving IFS Officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi

Seventeen judges have now stepped away from various legal cases involving Indian Forest Service officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi, with a fresh withdrawal recorded by the Central Administrative Tribunal in Delhi. Justice Rajvir Singh Verma of the CAT bench is the latest to recuse himself from hearing the matter.

Background Of Dispute

The core dispute stems from a November 2021 order issued by the Uttarakhand government, which outlined the process for preparing the Annual Confidential Report of IFS officers. Chaturvedi filed a legal challenge against this directive. His petition also references a Supreme Court ruling delivered in May 2025.

Breakdown Of Recusals

The respective judicial orders do not state any reasons for these withdrawals. The total count of 17 judges stepping down spans across multiple judicial levels, including two judges from the Supreme Court, four from the Nainital High Court, nine from the CAT, and two from district courts. The Nainital High Court judges who previously recused themselves include Justice Alok Verma, Justice Ravindra Maithani, Justice Manoj Tiwari, and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal.