Overview

• Justice Alok Verma of the Uttarakhand High Court recused this week from hearing IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s contempt petition, issuing a brief October 8 order to list the case before another bench without stating reasons.
• The petition accuses members of the Central Administrative Tribunal and its registry of wilful disobedience of a High Court stay related to proceedings initiated against Chaturvedi.
• The contempt dispute traces to the CAT starting suo motu action on October 17, 2024, a High Court stay in place until October 7, 2025, and the CAT nevertheless proceeding on September 12, 2025 by appointing a senior advocate as amicus curiae.
• Verma’s recusal follows Justice Ravindra Maithani stepping aside on September 26, bringing total recusals in Chaturvedi’s matters to 16 across tiers, including two former Supreme Court judges, several High Court judges, lower court judges, and multiple CAT members.
• The case now lacks an assigned bench, prolonging the impasse and prompting warnings from legal observers and former counsel about delays and access to justice.