Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has removed two controversial paragraphs from its 4 August order that had asked the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court to bar Justice Prashant Kumar from hearing criminal matters until his retirement. The move came after Chief Justice of India BR Gavai wrote to Justice JB Pardiwala, urging reconsideration of observations perceived as demeaning to the high court judge.
Bench States Intent Was Not to Embarrass
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan clarified that its intention was never to “cast aspersion or embarrass” the high court judge or interfere with the Chief Justice’s exclusive authority over roster allocation. “We fully acknowledge that the Chief Justice of the High Court is the master of the roster, and we leave it to him to take a call in the matter,” the order stated.
Background of the Controversy
The original order, passed during a commercial dispute hearing, had termed Justice Kumar’s reasoning “untenable” after he allowed criminal proceedings as an alternative to civil recovery. It also directed his removal from criminal rosters and pairing with a senior judge — a directive that sparked protests from seven Allahabad High Court judges, who wrote to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali seeking a full court meeting.
