Supreme Court Deletes Observations Against Allahabad HC Judge

The Supreme Court has deleted its observation criticizing Allahabad High Court judge Prashant Kumar for allowing a criminal case to proceed in a civil dispute. The court clarified that its intention was not to embarrass or cast aspersions on Justice Kumar, but to ensure the dignity of the judiciary. The court also deleted its order to remove Justice Kumar from the criminal roster and left it to the Chief Justice of the high court to decide.

The Supreme Court of India has recently deleted its observations criticizing Justice Prashant Kumar of the Allahabad High Court for allowing a criminal case to proceed in a civil dispute. The court clarified that its intention was not to embarrass or cast aspersions on Justice Kumar but to ensure the dignity of the judiciary. The court also deleted its order to remove Justice Kumar from the criminal roster, leaving the decision to the Chief Justice of the high court [1].

The original order from the Supreme Court, issued on August 4, had reprimanded Justice Kumar for finding nothing wrong in a litigant filing a criminal case against a buyer in a purely civil dispute. The apex court had directed that Justice Kumar be removed from the criminal roster and assigned to a division bench with a senior judge until his retirement. This order sparked concern among several Allahabad High Court judges who wrote to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, requesting a full court meeting to discuss the matter [2].

In response to the Supreme Court's clarification, a group of 13 judges of the Allahabad High Court wrote to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, urging him to convene a full court meeting to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court's order. The letter, circulated on August 7, 2025, requested that the apex court's order removing Justice Kumar from the criminal roster not be implemented [3].

The Supreme Court's recent clarification aims to address the concerns raised by the Allahabad High Court judges and to restore the dignity of the judiciary. The court's decision to delete its critical observations and leave the matter to the discretion of the Chief Justice of the high court indicates a shift in its approach to disciplinary actions against judges. This move is expected to have significant implications for the functioning of the high court and the broader judicial system in India [4].

References:
[1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-to-again-hear-case-in-which-it-had-rebuked-high-court-judge-for-absurd-order/article69907070.ece
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/in-letter-to-chief-justice-allahabad-hc-judges-seek-full-court-meeting-in-justice-prashant-kumars-matter/articleshow/123179447.cms
[3] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/justice-prashant-kumar-row-allahabad-high-court-judges-seek-to-defy-supreme-court-9043851
[4] https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/in-letter-to-cj-hc-judges-seek-meeting-in-justice-prashant-kumar-s-matter-125080800319_1.html