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Supreme Court Rebukes AP High Court Over '' Listing in Criminal Case
In a sharp rebuke to the , the on Wednesday took exception to the practice of listing petitions under the caption "" before their actual adjudication. A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul S. Chandurkar observed that such a indicates a of the matter, which is improper, especially in criminal cases.
The Background: A Conviction for Attempt to Murder
The case originated from an attack in Tirupati in , allegedly linked to a local election. The petitioner, K Ravi, along with four others, was convicted in by a under multiple sections of the , including . He was sentenced to five years of simple imprisonment for that offence, with all sentences to run concurrently.
K Ravi's conviction was upheld by a in , prompting him to file a before the . The High Court heard the matter on .
A Disturbing 'Caption': The High Court's
The controversy arose when the case was listed for judgment on . The High Court's showed the case under the caption "." Subsequently, the High Court dismissed the revision, finding no illegality or impropriety in the of the lower courts.
The Supreme Court, while hearing K Ravi's , observed critically:
"We find that the High Court had listed the related
case under the caption ‘
’ and thereafter dismissed the revision, though the matter was heard on merit on 21.11.2025. Listing of a case under such a caption itself indicates that a decision has already been taken before actual pronouncement of the order."
'Not Proper, More Particularly in Criminal Matters'
The apex court underscored that such a
undermines the principle of a
.
"This is not proper, more particularly in criminal matters,"
the bench said, highlighting that the appearance of
is particularly damaging when an individual's liberty is at stake.
Rather than dismissing the petition, the Supreme Court issued notice to the , returning the matter for reconsideration or . The case is now scheduled to be heard again on .
Implications of the Supreme Court's Observation
This ruling serves as a strong procedural check on High Courts. The Supreme Court has effectively signaled that a case caption like "" violates the fundamental principle that a judge's mind must be open until the final order is pronounced. Legal experts note that the practice can create a , giving litigants grounds to challenge the order as a violation of .
The court's decision to the matter for fresh consideration ensures that K Ravi's will be decided without any such prior characterization, reinforcing the commitment to in criminal proceedings.
