New Delhi: Delhi High Court has suspended two judicial officers in quick succession after finding prima facie evidence of misconduct against them.In an order dated July 15, but which was made public Friday, the high court administration communicated the suspension of judge Veena Rani with immediate effect.The decisions on Rani and also the suspension of fellow judge Vinay Singhal on July 10 were taken in a full court meeting earlier. A decision for a disciplinary inquiry against them was also taken.IJudge Rani’s name figures in a 2018 high court order when a division bench took cognizance of allegations of “forum shopping” involving her and two other judges, who have since retired.The bench directed that intellectual property rights suits of certain parties should not be listed before her and others. The high court’s order came on a contempt plea which alleged that some litigants had indulged in ‘forum shopping’. They had repeatedly moved applications to get their intellectual property right cases listed before some specific trial court judges.In 2019, a bench led by Justice Manmohan (now a Supreme Court judge) ordered the high court registry to place the matter before the then Chief Justice on the administrative side with a request to get all the allegations of “forum shopping” against judge Rani and the other two judges looked into by a committee of officers or high court judges.“If the allegations are found to be correct, then Hon’ble the Chief Justice shall take action in accordance with the law,” the bench observed.Subsequently, the court administration began investigating the allegations. This culminated in the latest order, announcing disciplinary proceedings against the judge, sources said.Judge Singhal was suspended, it is learnt, after a vigilance probe led the Chief Justice to act against allegations of misconduct in the process of appointing court auctioneers.“Disciplinary proceedings against Mr Vinay Singhal, an officer of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, are contemplated,” the resolution said. “This court… hereby places the said Mr. Vinay Singhal under suspension with immediate effect.”Both the judges will remain attached to their respective district judge office and can’t leave the city without permission.
