Allahabad High Court
BHOLA NATHversusVINOD KUMAR AND 9 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The High Court held that it cannot direct a subordinate court to expedite the disposal of a suit and dismissed the writ petition.
Summary
The petitioner filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction that the Small Cause Court, Varanasi decide a civil suit (Original No. 139/2023) within a stipulated period. The High Court referred to a recent Supreme Court decision (High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh, 2024) which held that constitutional courts should not fix time‑bound schedules for cases pending in lower courts except in exceptional circumstances. It also relied on its own Division Bench precedent (Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba, 2015) which declined to issue such expeditious‑hearing directions. Applying these precedents, the Court declined to direct the subordinate court and dismissed the petition. The petitioner was advised to move an application before the trial court for any expeditious disposal, and the writ petition was disposed of.
Issues considered
- Whether a High Court can, under Article 227, direct a subordinate court to decide a suit within a stipulated period.
- Whether constitutional courts may fix time‑bound schedules for disposal of cases pending in lower courts.
Legislation cited
- Constitution of India — s. Article 227
Subjects
- Article 227
- writ petition
- expeditious disposal
- time‑bound schedule
- high court direction
- subordinate court jurisdiction
- judicial discretion
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 12657 of 2026
Bhola Nath
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Vinod Kumar And 9 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : P.K. Upadhyay
Counsel for Respondent(s) :
Court No. - 9
HON'BLE ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL, J.
1. This writ petition has been filed with the following prayer:-
"1. directing the Court below to decide Original No. 139/2023 (Vinod
Kumar Vs. Saket Grih Nirman and others) pending in the Court of Small
Cause Judge, Varanasi within stipulated period as fixed by this Hon'ble
Court."
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 Constitution 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,
2015 (2) ADJ 250 (DB) has held that no direction can be issued to the
A227 No. 12657 of 2026
2
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 Suit No. 139/2023 (Vinod Kumar Vs. Saket Grih Nirman and
others) 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.
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6. With the aforesaid direction, the writ petition stands disposed of.
7. Registrar (Compliance) to communicate this order to court concerned,
within 48 hours.
(Rohit Ranjan Agarwal,J.)
September 14, 2026
(V. S. SINGH)
Digitally signed by :-
VIDYA SAGAR SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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