CBI Court Sets Stage for Trial in IFS Officer's Disproportionate Assets Case
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh has officially framed charges against Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Birendra Chaudhary and his wife, Sabita Chaudhary, in a significant disproportionate assets case. The court, presided over by Judge Bhavana Jain, took this decisive step on Monday, setting the legal process in motion under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Long Road to Trial: Key Dates and Allegations
The court has scheduled the formal trial to commence on March 18, 2026, and has already issued summons to the witnesses for the prosecution. This development comes four years after the CBI initially registered the case against the couple. The central agency's investigation alleges that during his tenure as the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) in Chandigarh between 2014 and 2017, Chaudhary misused his official position to accumulate wealth massively beyond his legitimate earnings.
According to the CBI's findings, the officer amassed assets calculated to be a staggering 186.33 percent beyond his known sources of income. The necessary prosecution sanction from the Centre was granted to the CBI last year, paving the way for the current legal proceedings. Chaudhary is currently posted in Port Blair, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration.
Past Controversy and the Roots of the DA Case
This is not the first legal trouble for the IFS officer. The current disproportionate assets case has its origins in a prior corruption scandal. In August 2017, the CBI arrested Chaudhary based on allegations that he accepted a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. The complaint was filed by a group of sawmill owners in Chandigarh.
Following that arrest, he was suspended from service but was later reinstated, albeit with a transfer away from Chandigarh. The bribery case prompted a deeper dive into his finances. The CBI launched a comprehensive probe, examining his assets over a ten-year period from 2011 to 2021, which encompassed his controversial posting in Chandigarh.
The findings were dramatic. The investigation revealed that Chaudhary's total wealth, including both movable and immovable assets, experienced an explosive growth. It surged from Rs 22.60 lakh in 2011 to an astonishing Rs 2.40 crore by 2021. This sharp and unexplained increase in wealth led directly to the registration of a separate disproportionate assets case against him and his wife.
The framing of charges marks a critical point in this long-running case, confirming that the court sees sufficient evidence to proceed with a full trial. All eyes will now be on the proceedings scheduled for 2026, where the allegations of corruption and illicit wealth accumulation will be tested in a court of law.
