Allahabad HC to move SC against bench?s remarks

The Allahabad High Court has decided to move the Supreme Court against remarks of a bench of the apex court that raised concerns on the integrity of its judges.

Taking serious view of the remarks by the SC bench, all judges of the HC, in a meeting, has passed a resolution to file a petition against the observations against its judges and demand that these remarks be expunged.

A bench of justices M Katju and GS Mishra of the SC had on November 26 said regarding the Allahabad HC: ?Something is rotten in the State of Denmark, said Shakespeare in Hamlet, and it can similarly be said that something is rotten in the Allahabad High Court.?

The SC bench made the observations while scrapping a single-judge bench order of the HC which had ordered a Bahraich-based Waqf Board to temporarily allot a portion of its land in May-June this year to the proprietors of a circus for its show during an annual fair.

Taking serious view of the HC order, the SC bench had said: ?The faith of the common man in the country is shaken to the core by such shocking and outrageous orders.?

?We are sorry to say but a lot of complaints are coming against certain judges of the Allahabad High Court relating to their integrity,? the judges added.

?We request the 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,” justices Katju and Mishra said.

The SC bench said many judges of the Allahabad HC suffered from ?uncle judge? syndrome, referring to judges passing favourable orders for parties represented by lawyers known to them.

The bench, however, added that some lawyers who maintain close relations with judges still take complete care to ensure that no finger is lifted on them.