Delhi high court judge, later Manipur CJ, had LPG agency during tenure
A report reveals that a retired Indian High Court judge maintained a private LPG distribution business throughout his 16-year judicial tenure. This practice appears to violate ethical codes regarding conflicts of interest for constitutional court judges.
Why it matters
It raises significant concerns regarding judicial integrity and the enforcement of ethical standards within the Indian legal system.
NEW DELHI: Judges, especially those in constitutional courts, are bound by oath and an unwritten code of conduct which make it highly unethical for them to have any pecuniary, contractual, business or trade links with the government, private parties, PSUs or companies.However, this didn't deter Justice (retd) Siddharth Mridul from running an LPG distribution agency through his 16-year tenure as a judge of Delhi high court and Chief Justice of Manipur HC.Mridul, who started practice as an advocate in Delhi HC in 1986, was appointed a judge in the same court in March 2008. He became Manipur HC Chief Justice in October 2023.The distributorship agreement between BPCL and Mridul for the company 'Kitchen Flame' was renewed on Aug 25, 1995; Aug 24, 2005; Aug 23, 2010; Aug 25, 2015; May 7, 2025; and on Sep 29 last year (with validity up to Aug 24, 2030).
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