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{{short description|Indian jurist}}
{{Orphan|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Veena Birbal
| office = [[Judge]] of the [[Delhi High Court]]
| term_start = 31 August 2007
| term_end = 30 June 2014
| nominator = [[Ramesh Chandra Lahoti]]
| appointer = [[A. P. J. Kalam]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|07|01|df=y}}
| alma_mater = [[University of Delhi]]
| honorific_prefix = Justice (Retd.)
}}

'''Veena Birbal''' (born 1 July 1952) is a former judge of the [[Delhi High Court]] in [[India]], and the former president of the [[Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Former Judges: Justice Veena Birbal|url=http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/formerjudges.asp?currentPage=4|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=[[Delhi High Court]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Former Presidents|url=http://www.delhistatecommission.nic.in/former_members.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120212525/http://www.delhistatecommission.nic.in/former_members.htm|archive-date=20 January 2025|access-date=|website=Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has adjudicated in a number of significant Indian cases concerning criminal offences and corruption, including the [[Scorpene deal scam]], the [[2G spectrum case]], the [[Murder of Nitish Katara|Nitish Katara murder]] case, and the [[Uphaar Cinema fire|Uphaar Cinema Fire]] litigation.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Scorpene deal: HC tells CBI to conduct fresh probe – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/scorpene-deal-hc-tells-cbi-to-conduct-fresh-probe/252648/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|title=2G case: High Court judge recuses from hearing plea of Karunanidhi's wife|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/2g-case-high-court-judge-recuses-from-hearing-plea-of-karunanidhis-wife/articleshow/20893090.cms|access-date=2020-11-23}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Katara case: Vikas moves bail plea for Bharati's marriage – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/katara-case-vikas-moves-bail-plea-for-bharatis-marriage/528665/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Uphaar fire case: HC tells Delhi govt to submit status report – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/uphaar-fire-case-hc-tells-delhi-govt-to-submit-status-report/1160499/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>
== Judicial career ==
Birbal enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1978, and practiced law at the Delhi High Court, Supreme Court of India and other courts and tribunals in Delhi. In 1992, she was appointed as a District and Sessions judge in Delhi, and became the judge in charge of the Karkardooma courts in 2006. Between 2003 and 2006, she was deputed by the Delhi High Court to act as the Secretary for Law, Justice and Legislative Affairs in the Government of Delhi. She was appointed to the Delhi High Court on 31 August 2007, and retired on 30 June 2014.<ref name=":0" />

=== Delhi High Court ===
As a High Court judge, Birbal briefly adjudicated over an appeal in the [[2G spectrum case]], during which she publicly rebuked former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. [[M. Karunanidhi|Karunanidhi]]'s wife, Dayalu Ammal, for failing to appear in hearings. The day after this, Birbal recused herself from the case, without disclosing any reasons for her recusal.<ref>{{Cite news|title=2G case: Karunanidhi's wife moves HC for exemption|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/2g-case-karunanidhis-wife-moves-hc-for-exemption/articleshow/20875019.cms|access-date=2020-11-23}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=DMK chief's wife moves HC for exemption – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/dmk-chiefs-wife-moves-hc-for-exemption/1136874/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Karunanidhi wife plea for exemption: Judge recuses – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/karunanidhi-wife-plea-for-exemption-judge-recuses/1137458/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref> Birbal, along with another judge, [[Sanjay Kishan Kaul]], also dismissed a case filed against [[Indian National Congress|INC]] leader [[Sonia Gandhi]], in which the petitioner had argued that she should be disqualified as a member of Parliament for receiving the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] from the Government of [[Belgium]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=HC dismisses petition against Sonia – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/hc-dismisses-petition-against-sonia/570790/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>

Birbal also adjudicated in a number of public interest litigations during her career as a High Court judge, and has, amongst other cases, ordered mandatory age tests for juvenile cricket teams to prevent fraud<ref>{{Cite web|title=HC makes medical tests mandatory to check age fraud – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/hc-makes-medical-tests-mandatory-to-check-age-fraud/797814/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref> and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to re-investigate allegations of corruption against government officials concerning the acquisition of [[Scorpene deal scam|Scorpene submarines]] for the Indian Navy.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=PTI|date=20 December 2007|title=Scorpene deal: Delhi HC orders fresh CBI inquiry|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Scorpene-deal-Delhi-HC-orders-fresh-CBI-inquiry/articleshow/2638117.cms|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> In 2010, Birbal refused to allow physically challenged candidates appearing for medical school entrance exams any concessions in qualifications.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-07-07|title=HC: Cannot allow disabled candidates same score concession as SC/ST students|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/hc-cannot-allow-disabled-candidates-same-score-concession-as-sc-st-students/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

In addition, Birbal also adjudicated a number of significant criminal cases, including the [[Nitish Katara murder case]],<ref name=":3" /> the [[Uphaar Cinema fire|Uphaar Cinema Fire]] litigation,<ref name=":4" /> and a widely reported hit-and-run case in Delhi in 2008, involving a man who was later convicted for killing two people after ramming into them with his BMW car.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arrest BMW crash driver if need be, says HC – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/arrest-bmw-crash-driver-if-need-be-says-hc/362233/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>

Along with another judge, [[Badar Durrez Ahmed]], she also reversed a widely reported order from the Delhi State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, directing all cellular and mobile network operators in India to compensate customers with Rs.5,000 for each unsolicited message or call received, holding that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to pass this order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HC reverses order on telemarketing calls – Indian Express|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/hc-reverses-order-on-telemarketing--calls/568442/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>

=== Delhi SCDRC ===
Following her retirement from the Delhi High Court, Birbal was appointed as the presiding judge in the Delhi State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ("Delhi SCDRC") and oversaw plans for the expansion of the SCDRC to include more benches to hear consumer complaints.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=2017-11-07|title=Delhi govt wants more consumer courts|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-govt-wants-more-consumer-courts/article19994666.ece|access-date=2020-11-23|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She also notably upheld a district consumer forum's order to the Indian Railways, directing them to compensate a former judge and his family with Rs.60,000 for inconvenience caused by a last-minute change in seats.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-11-14|title=Railways to pay Rs 60K to retd judge, family for discomfort|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/railways-to-pay-rs-60k-to-retd-judge-family-for-discomfort-4375273/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

== Life ==
Birbal's father, Hari Chand Mehta, was also a lawyer and practiced in Delhi. Birbal earned a B.Sc. from Miranda House, and an LL.B. from the Faculty of Law at the University of Delhi.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birbal, Veena}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:Judges of the Delhi High Court]]
[[Category:Delhi University alumni]]

Veena Birbal - Revision history

Kelashi123: Started Info