Another CAT Member Recuses From Sanjiv Chaturvedi Case, Reported Recusal Count Rises To 17
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) member has recused himself from hearing Uttarakhand-cadre Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s petition, taking the reported number of judges who have stepped aside from his cases to 17.
Latest Recusal At CAT
CAT Delhi Bench member Rajinder Kashyap, in an order dated September 21, recorded that Member (Judicial) Rajveer Singh Verma had recused himself from hearing the matter after it was heard for some time.
The order did not give any reason for the recusal.
Chaturvedi’s petition challenges a November 2021 Uttarakhand government order concerning the appraisal-report channel for IFS officers. The petition also refers to a Supreme Court judgment delivered in May 2025.
Judges Who Have Recused Themselves
According to a tally of proceedings, the reported recusals involve two Supreme Court judges, four Uttarakhand High Court judges, nine CAT members, including a former chairman, and two district court judges.
The tally could not be independently verified from the available information.
The latest CAT recusal comes after two Uttarakhand High Court judges stepped aside in September and October 2025 from a contempt case filed by Chaturvedi against CAT members and its registry.
Justices Alok Verma and Ravindra Maithani recused themselves from the matter. Their orders did not specify reasons.
Earlier Uttarakhand High Court Recusals
Justice Manoj Tiwari recused himself in February 2024 from a case concerning documents sought from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet regarding Chaturvedi’s central deputation.
In May 2023, Justice Rakesh Thapliyal withdrew from a case involving records of anti-corruption investigations conducted by Chaturvedi during his tenure as chief vigilance officer at AIIMS, New Delhi.
The High Court orders in both cases did not mention reasons for the recusals.
CAT And District Court Cases
In February 2025, CAT members Harvinder Oberai and B. Anand recused themselves from a case concerning the downgrading of Chaturvedi’s appraisal report during his AIIMS tenure.
Their order did not state a reason and directed the registry not to list Chaturvedi’s cases before them.
In April 2025, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Kushwaha recused herself from a defamation case filed by Chaturvedi against CAT member Manish Garg. The order cited “previous family relations” with another CAT member, D.S. Mahra.
Supreme Court Recusals Date Back To 2013
The reported list of recusals also includes two former Supreme Court judges.
In 2013, Justice Ranjan Gogoi recused himself from a petition seeking a CBI investigation into corruption allegations involving Haryana officials and politicians. Justice U.U. Lalit later recused himself from the matter in 2016.
A Shimla court judge also recused himself from a related defamation case in 2018.
At the CAT, former chairman Justice L. Narasimha Reddy withdrew from transfer petitions involving Chaturvedi in 2019, citing “unfortunate developments”. CAT member R.N. Singh recused himself from a central deputation matter in 2021.
