Delhi Court Holds Conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar Guilty of Impersonating Supreme Court Judge

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday convicted notorious conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a sensational 2017 case where he impersonated a Supreme Court judge to intimidate a trial judge and influence ongoing judicial proceedings.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Harshita Mishra of the Tis Hazari Court pronounced Chandrasekhar guilty under Sections 170 (personating a public servant), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court sternly remarked that Chandrasekhar's audacity was a direct affront to judicial propriety and an attempt to subvert the administration of justice.

Calculated Plot to Pressure the Court

According to the prosecution, the incident dates back to 2017 when Chandrasekhar was in police custody in connection with another matter. Operating from custody, he illegally gained access to a mobile phone belonging to a police constable named Manjeet.

Using the constable's device, Chandrasekhar placed calls to the official landline phone of a Special Judge who was presiding over a case against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). Investigators revealed that during the call, Chandrasekhar initially claimed to be the secretary of a sitting Supreme Court judge before directly posing as the Supreme Court judge himself. He attempted to coerce and intimidate the trial judge into granting him bail and skewing the judicial outcome in his favor.

Ruling on the matter, CJM Mishra noted that the act was far from an isolated misstep or simple mistake. Instead, the court highlighted that it was a deliberate, calculated ploy designed to hijack the authority and institutional credibility of the country's highest court.

Fresh Inquiry Ordered Against Police Constable

Taking serious note of how a prisoner in custody managed to secure a mobile device, the court directed a fresh investigation into the role played by police constable Manjeet. The judicial order mandated an inquiry into how Chandrasekhar accessed the constable’s mobile phone while in custody and whether the police officer colluded in the offense.

The court has scheduled the hearing on the quantum of sentence for August 27.