Punjab and Haryana High Court Suspends Former CBI Court Judge Rajeev Goyal Pending Inquiry

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has suspended with immediate effect judicial officer Rajeev Goyal , who previously served as Special Judge, CBI Court, Panchkula , and is currently posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal .

According to the May 29 suspension order issued by the Registrar General , the action has been taken in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings under Article 235 of the Constitution of India read with Rule 4(b) of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016 .

The order states that the decision was taken by the Chief Justice and judges of the High Court , reportedly during a Full Court meeting , though no specific reasons have been disclosed. The suspension is administrative in nature and does not specify any formal charges at this stage.

Goyal has been directed to remain under suspension with his headquarters fixed at Kaithal . He has been instructed not to leave the station without prior permission of the District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal , and will be entitled to subsistence allowance and other admissible benefits as per service rules.

Multiple reports indicate that the suspension is linked to his earlier tenure as Special Judge in the CBI Court at Panchkula , which has jurisdiction over CBI cases across Haryana and handles sensitive corruption and financial crime trials.

During his tenure, Goyal presided over several high-profile matters, including cases arising from the Manesar land acquisition scam and corruption-related proceedings involving senior public officials and private developers. He also delivered orders in politically sensitive cases, including discharge rulings in graft matters involving former accused officials and real estate executives , which had drawn legal attention.

He was also reported to have handled proceedings connected to money laundering-linked trials and Prevention of Corruption Act cases , reflecting the sensitive nature of the docket assigned to the special CBI court.

Notably, legal records show that in recent months, Goyal had passed orders such as discharge of accused persons in a 2023 corruption case , while other proceedings under his court included bail and trial management decisions in ongoing economic offence matters.

Earlier developments in the same judicial ecosystem show that the CBI special court system in Panchkula has previously seen administrative scrutiny and transfers , underlining the sensitivity of the jurisdiction and the High Court’s supervisory role over judicial officers handling central agency cases.