A mass transfer order was issued by the Delhi High Court on August 1, 2026. (File Photo: ITG)

Delhi High Court transfers judge hearing paper leak cases to anti-terror court

While Judge Anu Grover Baliga has been transferred to a Special NIA Court, her place in the anti-paper leak court will be taken by Judge Ajay Gupta. The transfers are part of a massive reshuffle ordered by the Delhi High Court, which reassigned 138 judicial officers across various courts in the national capital.

by · India Today

In Short

  • As many as 138 judges handed new postings in Delhi
  • Judge Anu Grover Baliga moved to Special NIA court
  • Five other judges also transferred to anti-terror courts

Judge Anu Grover Baliga, whose court was recently designated as the special fast-track court to hear criminal cases related to question paper leaks, is among the dozens of judicial officers who have been handed new postings in a major reshuffle within the judiciary in Delhi.

While she has been transferred to a Special NIA Court, her place in the anti-paper leak court will be taken by Judge Ajay Gupta. The transfers are part of a massive reshuffle ordered by the Delhi High Court, which reassigned 138 judicial officers across various courts in the national capital.

The move has cleared the way for the posting of judges in several newly established special courts, including those for trial in cases pertaining to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Besides Judge Baliga, five other judges – Vikas Dhull, Prashant Sharma, Amit Bansal, Kiran Bansal and Pulastya Pramachala – will assume charge as Special NIA judges.

The mass transfer order came roughly a week after Judge Baliga's court was designated by the Delhi High Court as the dedicated court to hear criminal cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 on July 23 this year.

The notification came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that fast-track courts would be established to ensure speedy trials and strict action against those involved in examination paper leak cases. The announcement was made amid a growing agitation over NEET-related irregularities.

NEW NIA COURTROOMS TO BE INAUGURATED

The newly constructed NIA courtrooms at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex are scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday, August 3, marking the shift of all anti-terror trials out of the Patiala House Courts Complex.

In addition to the NIA courts, dedicated MCOCA and NDPS courts have also been established at Rouse Avenue. Four judges—Sandeep Yadav, Anuradha Shukla, Devendra Kumar Sharma and Bhupinder Singh—have been posted as Special Exclusive NDPS judges, while Gaurav Rao, Gagandeep Singh and Surbhi Sharma Vats have been appointed as Special Exclusive MCOCA judges.

All the new postings mentioned in the order, issued on Saturday, August 1, will be applicable with effect from Tuesday, August 4.

- Ends