Neha Bora case: Court seeks adjournment? Senior Advocate says he will take it upon himself

The Delhi High Court was on Thursday privy to an interesting exchange between Justice Subramonium Prasad and Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan over a contentious issue that has often brought a great deal of negative press for the court system - lawyers taking adjournment.

Only this time, it was a judge who sought "adjournment" to pass an order.

The exchange happened during the hearing of the plea filed by All India Students Association (AISA) President Neha Bora against the Delhi Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) notice to sign a peace bond. 

As the Court took up the matter in the post-lunch session and arguments went on for more than two hours, Justice Prasad said that he would need time to write the judgment. 

He told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, representing Delhi Police, that he (the Court) was seeking an adjournment till Tuesday (October 27) to write the verdict. The Court said that till then, the police should hold its hands and not take any coercive action.

“Sharma sir, just a small request. It will require bit more time to write a judgment. Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday I am not in the station. We will finish the hearing today. Adjournment I am seeking to write the judgment till Tuesday. The only request is till Tuesday, when I pronounce the judgment. Hold your hands,” the Court said. 

Justice Prasad said this because the next date of proceedings in Bora’s case before the SEM is Saturday (October 24). 

ASG Sharma replied that there was a slight problem.

“There is a slight problem there. And I will leave it to the court. It is a seminal point…Show cause as to why a bond be not executed. Kindly see no detention…” he tried to submit  

The Court responded that it will have to deal with the arguments of the Delhi Police and Sankaranarayanan, Bora’s counsel, in its judgment. 

“The point is that when a judge is rushed, there is a problem,” the Court remarked. 

At this point, Sankaranarayanan said that it does not sound good that a Court should be seeking an adjournment. Hence, he offered to take it upon himself.

“I will take it on myself. I am seeking an accommodation till Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said. 

However, in the end, the adjournment was not required as the Court reserved its verdict and is scheduled to pronounce it today (October 23) at 6 PM.