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Allahabad High Court

RAMJATAN YADAVversusRAMSAKAL AND 2 OTHERS

Decided

Holding

The High Court held that it cannot issue a direction to the subordinate court for expeditious disposal of the suit, and therefore dismissed the writ petition.

Summary

The petitioner, Ramjatan Yadav, filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction to the Civil Judge (Junior Division) in Jaunpur to decide his 2022 suit and a related application within a stipulated period. The petitioner relied on a recent Supreme Court decision that constitutional courts should not fix time‑bound schedules for cases pending in lower courts except in exceptional circumstances. The High Court examined the Supreme Court’s ruling in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) and a Division Bench decision in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015), which held that such directions are generally impermissible. Applying these precedents, the Court held that it could not compel the subordinate court to expedite the suit and dismissed the petition. The Court advised the petitioner to move a regular application for expeditious disposal before the trial court, and the writ petition was disposed of.

Issues considered

  • Whether a High Court can, under Article 227, direct a subordinate civil court to decide a suit within a stipulated time‑bound schedule.
  • Whether the circumstances in the present case constitute an ‘exceptional’ situation justifying such a direction.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • Article 227
  • writ petition
  • expeditious disposal
  • subordinate courts
  • judicial discretion
  • time‑bound schedule
  • Supreme Court precedent

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
            MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 12302 of 2026

Ramjatan Yadav
                                                                     .....Petitioner(s)
                                       Versus

Ramsakal And 2 Others
                                                                   .....Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s)           : Hriday Narayan             Pandey,       Rakesh
                                      Kumar Yadav
Counsel for Respondent(s)           :

Court No. - 9
                HON'BLE ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL, J.

1. This writ petition has been filed with the following prayer:-

     "a. Issue a direction to trial court Civil Judge (J.D.), Jaunpur to decide
     the 6C application of the petitioner in the aforesaid suit within stipulated
     period in accordance with law.
     b. Issue a direction the learned trial court i.e. Civil Judge (J.D.), Jaunpur
     to decide the Suit No.1230 of 2022 (Ramjatan Vs. Ramsakal and others)
     as early as possible within stipulated period as this Hon'ble Court
     expeditiously within an stipulated period fixed by this Hon'ble Court."

2. Counsel for the petitioner states that the suit filed in the year 2022 is
pending consideration, which may be decided, expeditiously.

3. 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
                                                                 A227 No. 12302 of 2026
                                    2


     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;"

4. The Division Bench of this Court in Ali Shad Usmani vs. Ali Isteba,
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."

5. In view of above, this Court declines to direct the court below to
                                                                                            A227 No. 12302 of 2026
                                                                   3


                                    expedite the proceedings pending before it.

                                    6. The petitioner may, however, move an application for expeditious
                                    disposal of Suit No. 1230 of 2022 before the court concerned who will
                                    decide the same on the basis of pendency of cases before it and also
                                    keeping in mind the dictum of Hon’ble Apex Court.

                                    7. With the aforesaid direction, the writ petition stands disposed of.

                                    8. 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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