E Manipur High Court Chief Justice faces heat for running LPG agency during tenure
Delhi High Court judge and former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, Justice (Retd.) Siddharth Mridul, has come under scrutiny over his alleged association
Delhi High Court judge and former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, Justice (Retd.) Siddharth Mridul, has come under scrutiny over his alleged association with an LPG distributorship named 'Kitchen Flame' during his 16-year judicial tenure. The controversy has also dimmed his prospects of contesting the Supreme Court Bar Association presidential election. Taking the view that holding a constitutional office such as that of a judge while engaging in business is contrary to the applicable rules, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) suspended the dealership of the LPG agency on July 6 after Justice Mridul allegedly failed to respond to a show-cause notice. Read Full Story Judges are bound by their oath of office and judicial codes of conduct, which generally prohibit them from engaging in business or holding positions in PSUs, government bodies or private entities that could create a conflict of interest or compromise the independence and integrity of the judiciary.
Justice (Retd.) Siddharth Mridul began his legal practice at the Delhi High Court in 1986. He was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court in March 2008 and became the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court in October 2023. However, according to the allegations, he continued to run the LPG distributorship during his judicial tenure. The distributorship agreement between BPCL and Justice Mridul for 'Kitchen Flame' was renewed on August 25, 1995, August 24, 2005, August 23, 2010, August 25, 2015, May 7, 2025 and again on September 29 last year, with validity until August 24, 2030. The matter came to light following an ownership dispute raised by the widow of the former manager of the agency run by Justice Mridul, as well as a public complaint.
Two months back, Monika Yadav, the wife of the agency's former manager, approached the Delhi High Court seeking the transfer of ownership rights of the distributorship in her name. Subsequently, in December 2025, a formal public complaint was lodged alleging that the current owner of the LPG agency was a sitting judge. Following the complaint, BPCL issued multiple show-cause notices to Justice Mridul, alleging violation of service rules by engaging in business while holding judicial office without the required permission. After receiving no response, BPCL suspended the dealership. Court proceedings later revealed that after the dealership was suspended, Monika Yadav filed a fresh petition before the Delhi High Court, alleging inaction on the part of BPCL and pointing to lapses by the previous owner, Justice Mridul.
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