In a significant judicial development, the Supreme Court of India has ordered the removal of two special judges—Sunaina Sharma and Dheeraj Mor—who were presiding over high-profile coal scam cases in Delhi. Acting swiftly on an unconventional administrative request from the Delhi High Court, the apex court approved their transfer after noting that the High Court required their exceptional qualifications for alternative responsibilities. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymala Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana processed the transfer following a formal communication from the Delhi High Court’s Registrar General, which praised both judicial officers as having outstanding credentials while seeking to utilize their expertise elsewhere.
Short Tenures Cut Short: A Look at the Judges’ Postings
The sudden transfer has caught legal circles by surprise given the relatively short duration both judges spent handling the sensitive coal scam docket. Justice Sunaina Sharma had assumed office in January of this year, succeeding former presiding judge Sanjay Bansal, who managed the special court for nearly four and a half years. Meanwhile, Dheeraj Mor was appointed as a special judge in April 2025, completing just over a year in the role. With Sharma having served for barely six months, the fresh administrative push prompted the Supreme Court to clear their immediate relocation away from the coal scam trials.
New Appointments and Directives on Reserved Judgments Issued
To ensure continuity in the ongoing corruption proceedings, the apex court has approved the appointment of two replacement judges. Virendra Kumar Kharta, formerly the special judge of the NDPS court at Saket, will take over from Sunaina Sharma, while Ajay Garg, previously an additional sessions judge at the Tis Hazari fast-track court, will replace Dheeraj Mor. Following the official transfer notifications issued by the Delhi High Court, neither Sharma nor Mor has been assigned a new active judicial docket yet, with both officers temporarily attached to the office of the Principal District and CBI Sessions Judge. Additionally, the High Court has instructed both outgoing judges to meticulously list all matters where judgments remain reserved, mandating that they deliver these verdicts on scheduled dates or within two to three weeks, with notices duly displayed across court cause lists and official websites.