Allahabad High Court
ALOK KUMARversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 4 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The High Court held that it cannot direct a subordinate court to expedite a suit unless exceptional circumstances exist, and therefore dismissed the petition.
Summary
The petitioner Alok Kumar filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a mandamus directing the Civil Judge (Junior Division) of Saidpur, Ghazipur to expedite the hearing and dispose of Original Suit No. 71 of 2024 within a stipulated period. The High Court examined the authority of a constitutional court to fix time‑bound schedules for cases pending before subordinate courts, relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in High Court Bar Association v. State of U.P. (2024) 6 SCC 267 which limits such intervention to exceptional circumstances. It also considered the Division Bench judgment in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) 2 ADJ 250 (DB), which declined to issue directions for expeditious disposal of a civil suit. The Court held that directing a lower court to prioritize a particular suit would create a preferential class of litigants and overburden the subordinate judiciary. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, with the Court advising the petitioner to approach the trial court directly for any expeditious disposal application.
Issues considered
- Can a High Court issue a mandamus directing a subordinate civil judge to expedite a specific suit?
- Whether a constitutional court may fix a time‑bound schedule for disposal of cases pending before lower courts?
- Whether the petitioner has demonstrated sufficient urgency to justify such direction
Subjects
- Article 227
- Mandamus
- Expeditious disposal
- Civil suit
- High Court jurisdiction
- Time‑bound schedule
- Subordinate court
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 12284 of 2026
Alok Kumar
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
State Of U.P. And 4 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Prem Prakash Yadav
Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C.
Court No. - 9
HON'BLE ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL, J.
1. This writ petition has been filed with the following prayer:-
"I. Issue a writ, of mandamus or any other suitable writ, order or
direction commanding the Civil Judge (J.D.), Saidpur, District Ghazipur
to expedite the hearing and to decide Original Suit No.71 of 2024
(Nagina Yadav & others Vs. Alok Kumar & another) within a stipulated
period from the date of this Hon'ble Court's order."
2. Recently, the Constitution Bench of Hon'ble Supreme Court in High
Court Bar Association, Allahabad vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and
others (2024) 6 SCC 267 has held that Constitutional Courts should
refrain from fixing a time-bound schedule for the disposal of cases
pending before any other courts. The Court further held that issue of
prioritising the disposal of cases should be best left to the decision of the
courts concerned where the cases are pending. Relevant para 47.3 of the
said judgment is extracted hereasunder :-
"Constitutional courts, in the ordinary course, should refrain from fixing
a time-bound schedule for the disposal of cases pending before any other
courts. Constitutional courts may issue directions for the time-bound
disposal of cases only in exceptional circumstances. The issue of
prioritising the disposal of cases should be best left to the decision of the
courts concerned where the cases are pending;"
3. The Division Bench of this Court in Ali Shad Usmani vs. Ali Isteba,
A227 No. 12284 of 2026
2
2015 (2) ADJ 250 (DB) has held that no direction can be issued to the
sub-ordinate courts for deciding the suit within stipulated period. Relevant
portion of the judgment is extracted hereasunder:-
"We are not inclined to issue a direction for the expeditious hearing of a
Civil Suit which is pending before the Civil Judge (Junior Division),
District-Azamgarh. It would be most inappropriate to Court to entertain a
writ petition under Article 226 and/or under Article 227 of the
Constitution simply for the purpose of expediting the hearing of a suit.
Such orders, if granted, place a class of litigants, who move the court in a
separate and preferential category whereas other cases which may be of
similar or greater antiquity and urgency are left to be decided in the
normal channel. Hence, any such direction may be issued with the
greatest care and circumspection by the High Court otherwise the Civil
Courts will be overburdened only with requests for expeditious disposal
of suits, which have been expedited by the High Court. Most of the
litigants cannot afford the expense of moving the High court and would
not, therefore, be in a position to have the benefit of such an order.
Ultimately, it must be left to the judicious exercise of discretion of the
concerned Court to determine whether a ground for urgency has been
made out. We emphasize that there may be other cases such as involving
senior citizens, those who are differently abled or people suffering from a
particular disablilty socio-economic or otherwise which may prime cause
of urgent disposal. It is for the learned Trial Judge in each case to apply
his or her mind and decide whether the hearing of the suit to be
expedited.
For these reasons, we are not inclined to entertain the petition. The
petition is, accordingly, dismissed. There shall be no order as to cost."
4. In view of above, this Court declines to direct the court below to
expedite the proceedings pending before it.
5. The petitioner may, however, move an application for expeditious
disposal of Original Suit No. 71 of 2024 before the court concerned who
will decide the same on the basis of pendency of cases before it and also
A227 No. 12284 of 2026
3
keeping in mind the dictum of Hon’ble Apex Court.
6. With the aforesaid direction, the writ petition stands disposed of.
7. The Registrar (Compliance) is directed to communicate this order to
the court concerned within 48 hours.
(Rohit Ranjan Agarwal,J.)
September 9, 2026
A. V. Singh
Digitally signed by :-
AJAY VIKRAM SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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