[2010(5) ADJ 770 (DB)]
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : VIJAY MANOHAR SAHAI AND RAJ MANI CHAUHAN, JJ.
RAJESH CHANDRA GUPTA AND OTHERS …Petitioners
Versus
STATE OF U.P. AND ANOTHER …Respondents
(Special Appeal No. 578 of 2010, decided on 29th April, 2010)
(B) Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952—Chapter VI, Rule 7—Part heard cases—Cannot be heard by another Judge in absence of Judge who was hearing it—It is only after expiry of two months of absence of that Judge—Chief Justice can pass order for hearing of that case by another Judge—In the instant case, the Judge concerned was available before expiry of two months—As such, only he had the jurisdiction to hear it. [Para 6]
Result; Special Appeal Allowed.
By the Court.—Heard Sri Rahul Shripat, learned counsel for the appellants and Sri Gautam Baghel, Advocate holding brief of Sri P.S.Baghel for the respondents.
2. Civil Misc. Writ Petition No. 25438 of 2007 of the appellant was dismissed by Hon. Mr. Jusdtice V.K.Shukla on 25.5.2007. The petitioners filed Restoration/Review Application. It appears that on the date when the matter was listed Hon. Mr. Justice V.K.Shukla was not available and, therefore, Hon. Mr. Justice Pankaj Mithal heard and dismissed the said application by order dated 22.4.2008.
3. For ready reference Rules 12 and 13 of Chapter V of The Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952 is quoted below :
“12. Application for review.—An application for the review of a judgment shall be presented to the Registrar, who shall endorse thereon the date when it is presented and lay the same as early as possible before the Judge or Judges by whom such judgment was delivered alongwith an office report as to limitation and sufficiency of Court fees. If such Judge or Judges or any one or more of such Judges be no longer attached to the Court, the application shall be laid before the Chief Justice who shall having regard to the provisions of Rule 5 of Order XLVII of the Code, nominate a Bench for the hearing of such applications:
Provided that an application for the review of a judgment of one Judge who is precluded by absence or other cause for a period of six months next after the presentation of the application from considering the decree or order to which the application refers, shall be heard or disposed of by a single Judge and that an application for the review of a judgment of two or more Judges, any one or more of whom is or are precluded by absence or other cause for a period of six months next after the presentation of the application from considering the decree or order to which the application refers, shall be heard or disposed of by a Bench consisting of the same or a greater number of Judges.
Explanation—For the purposes of this rule the expression ‘no longer attached to the Court’ shall be deemed to include absence from the permanent place of sitting on account of the directions given under Rule 17 of this chapter, illness or any other cause.”
“13. Subsequent application on the same subject to be heard by the same Bench.—No application to the same effect or with the same object as a previous application upon which a Bench has passed any order other than an order of reference to another Judge or Judges, shall, except by way of appeal, ordinarily be heard by any other Bench.
The application when presented by or on behalf of the person by whom or on whose behalf such previous application was made shall give the necessary particulars of such previous application, the nature and the date of the order passed thereon and the name or names of the Judges or Judges by whom such order was passed.”
4. In view of the aforesaid rules since the writ petition was dismissed by Hon. V.K. Shukla, J only he had the jurisdiction to hear the Restoration/Review Application. Even if Hon. Mr. Justice V.K. Shukla was sitting at Lucknow Bench even then after his return from Lucknow he had the jurisdiction to hear the application as per proviso to the aforesaid Rule. If an application for review of the judgment could not be heard by the Hon’ble Judge due to his absence at least for six months then it can be heard and disposed of by another Judge. Admittedly during the period of six months Hon. Mr. Justice V.K. Shukla came back to Allahabad. Therefore, only Hon. Mr. Justice V.K. Shukla had the jurisdiction to hear the said application and the order passed thereon by Hon. Mr. Justice Pankaj Mithal is without jurisdiction in view of the aforesaid rules.
5. Rule 7 of Chapter VI lays down the rule with regard to part heard cases, as under :
“7. Part-heard cases.—A case which remains part-heard at the end of the day shall, unless otherwise ordered by the Judge or Judges concerned, be taken up first a
SupremeToday
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.