Meet Judge Anu Baliga, Delhi High Court’s pick to fast track paper leak cases

Days after PM Modi announced fast-track courts for paper leak cases, the Delhi High Court designated Baliga to exclusively hear such offences

Anu Grover Baliga is the Delhi High Court’s designated special judge for paper leak cases.Anu Grover Baliga is the Delhi High Court’s designated special judge for paper leak cases.

A Mathematics graduate who has presided over CBI and narcotics cases, Anu Grover Baliga is the Delhi High Court’s designated special judge for paper leak cases.

Her appointment comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in exam fraud, following a month-long protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

Baliga (57) began her judicial career as a Civil Judge at Tis Hazari Court from 2000 to 2003 before serving as a Metropolitan Magistrate at Karkardooma, Tis Hazari and Patiala House courts.

She later served as Principal Magistrate of the Juvenile Justice Board and as Senior Civil Judge-cum-Rent Controller, a judicial officer who handles civil suits and rent control disputes, at Dwarka Court.

Over the years, she has held several judicial assignments. She served as a district judge at Dwarka Court, spent nearly four years as a Special Judge under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Patiala House Court, and later served as a Special CBI Judge at Dwarka Court between 2015 and 2017.

For four months in 2022, Baliga served as Special Judge (CBI) at Rouse Avenue Court before heading commercial courts at Karkardooma and Saket.

Before her latest appointment, she was serving as Judge-in-Charge of the Mediation Centre, Central District, at Tis Hazari Courts.

Story continues below this ad

She has now been designated as Special Judge (PC Act) (CBI)-25 (Specially Designated Fast Track Court) to exclusively try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, along with connected offences.

Baliga holds LLB and LLM degrees. Between 2019 and 2022, she served as Secretary of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee (DHCLSC), the statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, to provide free legal aid to weaker and vulnerable sections of society.

The 2026 NEET-UG paper leak case is now being heard by Baliga’s court; it was earlier being heard by a different Special Judge.

On Monday, she heard an application filed by accused Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar seeking proper medical treatment while in judicial custody.

Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.  2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

 

Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments