Take action against incorrigibles in Allahabad High Court: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to act against a judge who had passed orders on extraneous considerations, and against some other judges facing complaints.

A Bench of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said: “We do not mean to say that all lawyers who have close relations as judges of the High Court are misusing that relationship. Some are scrupulously taking care that no one should lift a finger on this account. However, others are shamelessly taking advantage of this relationship. There are other serious complaints also against some judges of the High Court. The High Court really needs some house-cleaning (both the Allahabad and Lucknow Benches), and we request the Honourable Chief Justice of the High Court to do the needful, even if he has to take some strong measures, including recommending transfers of the incorrigibles.”

In the instant case, on a writ petition by Raja Khan, a single judge directed the respondents (the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board; the District Magistrate, Bahraich; and the Committee of Management, Waqf No. 19, Dargah Sharif, Bahraich) to allot Waqf land for running a circus, ‘jhoola' and merry-go-round, and possession of the allocated land was ordered to be handed over within three days. A Division Bench set aside the order.

Dismissing the appeal against the Division Bench order, the Supreme Court said: “We are of the opinion that the two ex parte interim orders of the single judge were clearly passed on extraneous considerations. The property in question is in Bahraich district, within the territorial jurisdiction of the Lucknow Bench. Hence, the writ petition could not have been validly filed or entertained in the Allahabad Bench. The writ petition was not maintainable because ordinarily no writ petition lies against a private body.”

The Supreme Court directed that a copy of this order be sent to the Registrars-General/Registrars of all High Courts for being placed before the Chief Justices of the High Courts.