Supreme Court criticises High Court for not delivering judgment after reserving verdict for 14 months

The Supreme Court on Monday (December 2) was surprised to come across a case where a Allahabad High Court Bench reserved its verdict for fourteen months before it decided to list the matter before another Bench, instead of delivering a judgment [Ramdular Singh v. State of U.P. & Anr.]..A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sandeep Mehta granted the litigant interim relief before sending the case back to the High Court with a directive to decide on the same promptly."We do not know the exact reason as to why the learned Judge of the High Court, despite lapse of 14 (fourteen) months since judgment was reserved, could not deliver the judgment and dispose of the petition one way or the other ... Be that as it may, without expressing any further comment on the matter of keeping a reserved judgment pending for 14 (fourteen) months and then not delivering the same, we request the roster bench of the High Court to dispose of the petition in accordance with law as early as possible, preferably within three months," the top court said..The petitioner, Ramdular Singh had moved the Allahabad High Court to challenge criminal proceedings lodged against him in a dispute that he alleged was of civil nature.The High Court reserved its judgment in the matter on March 28, 2023. It, however, did not grant any interim relief to Singh in the meantime.Fourteen months later, on May 27, 2024, the High Court de-reserved its judgment and referred the matter to another Bench. Aggrieved by this decision, Singh moved the Supreme Court for relief.Singh's counsel argued that in the absence of any stay order order from the High Court, the criminal proceedings against his client have now reached the stage of framing of criminal charges. Thus, his client's plea before the High Court was effectively becoming pointless, the Supreme Court was told..Having considered these submissions, the Supreme Court granted Singh interim relief and asked the Allahabad High Court to swiftly dispose of his plea."Till such time, the matter is considered next by the High Court, there shall be stay of proceedings before the trial court, i.e., the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate-IV, Varanasi, in Case No. 330 of 2019. The petitioner shall be at liberty to seek extension of the order of stay till the disposal of the petition on merits," the Court added, as interim relief for Singh. .Advocate on Record (AOR) Divyesh Pratap Singh with Advocates Shivangi Singh, Suraj Prakash Singh, Amit Sangwan, Ashu Bhindwar and Sneha Chandna appeared for the petitioner, Ramdular Singh.Senior Advocate Ajay Kumar Mishra, AOR Garvesh Kabra, Advocates Amit Singh, Avnish Deshpande and Sujata Upadhyay represented the respondents State of Uttar Pradesh..[Read Order]