The inquiry will be conducted by the Secretary General of the Supreme Court and would ascertain whether the call was indeed made by any high court or Supreme Court judge.
Published Aug 27, 2025 | 2:25 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2025 | 2:25 PM
Supreme Court
Synopsis: The Supreme Court ordered an inquiry into allegations that a judge of the higher judiciary contacted Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma of the NCLAT in Chennai to seek a favourable order in a case.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 27 August, ordered an inquiry into allegations that a judge of the higher judiciary contacted Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in Chennai to seek a favourable order in a case.
According to reports, the inquiry will be conducted by the Secretary General of the Supreme Court and would ascertain whether the call was indeed made by any high court or Supreme Court judge. The apex court is likely to decide on the further course of action based on the findings.
By way of a 13 August order, Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma recused himself from a case after one of his colleagues was approached by a member of the higher judiciary seeking an order in favour of a particular party.
The bench, also comprising Member (Technical) Jatindranath Swain, expressed its anguish over the same and directed that the matter be placed before the NCLAT chairperson for nomination of another bench to hear the case.
“We are anguished to observe, that one of us, Member (Judicial), has been approached by one of the most revered members of the higher judiciary of this country for seeking an order in favour of a particular party. Hence, I recuse to hear the matter,” he said in the order.
According to Bar & Bench, Justice Sharma referred to a message he received on his mobile phone on 13 August. He had shown it to the lawyers involved in the case before stepping away from the case. The contents of the message were not disclosed in court and remain unknown.
The case relates to an appeal filed in 2023 challenging an order admitting a Hyderabad-based company into the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
The appeal was listed before a two-member coram at the NCLAT Chennai and was listed for orders. However, with Justice Sharma’s recusal, the matter is now expected to be placed before the chairperson for the constitution of a fresh coram to hear the case.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
