Supreme Court Registrar Permits Withdrawal of Intervention Applications in Ashwini Upadhyay's PIL - 2025-08-18

Supreme Court Registrar Allows Withdrawal of Intervention Pleas in Ashwini Upadhyay PIL

New Delhi: In a procedural development at the Supreme Court of India, the Registrar's Court has permitted the withdrawal of four unregistered applications filed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

The order, dated July 15, 2025, was passed by Registrar Sh. Mashroor Alam Khan in connection with Writ Petition (Civil) No. 559 of 2020.

---

Overview of the Order

The case, titled Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs Union of India & Ors. , saw a brief hearing before the Registrar's Court. The primary focus of the day's proceedings was a request made by Mr. Shivank Verma, an Applicant-in-Person.

According to the official Record of Proceedings, Mr. Verma sought to withdraw four unregistered Interlocutory Applications (IAs):

* IA No. 106756 of 2020 (Intervention Application)

* IA No. 106757 of 2020 (Permission to Appear and Argue in Person)

* IA No. 11299 of 2021 (Intervention Application)

* IA No. 11302 of 2021 (Permission to Appear and Argue in Person)

The Court's Decision

The Registrar's order was concise and dispositive. After noting the request, Registrar Khan passed the following order:

"As per Office report, Mr. Shivank Verma, Applicant-in-Person seeks withdrawal of unregistered application nos. 106756 of 2020, 106757 of 2020, 11299 of 2021 and 11302 of 2021. As sought, unregistered applications are hereby allowed to be withdrawn."

This order formally closes these specific applications, removing them from the case record.

Implications of the Procedural Move

While the order does not delve into the merits of the main PIL, it represents a routine but necessary step in case management. The withdrawal of intervention applications simplifies the list of parties and arguments that the Supreme Court bench will eventually hear when the main petition is taken up. The reasons for Mr. Verma's withdrawal were not detailed in the Registrar's order.

The principal petition, filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, remains pending before the Supreme Court, with the Union of India as the primary respondent. The case will proceed for hearing on the substantive legal questions raised in the PIL in due course.