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Allahabad High Court

SUSHILA RANI SAXENA WIDOWversusROHIT SAXENA

Decided

Holding

The High Court declined to direct the subordinate civil court to expedite the pending suit, dismissing the writ petition.

Summary

The petitioner, Sushila Rani Saxena (widow), filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction to the Civil Judge (Senior Division) IIIrd, Mathura, to conclude Civil Suit O.S. No.525 of 2020 (Sudhir Kumar Saxena vs. Rohit Saxena) within a stipulated period, alleging potential irreparable loss. The High Court examined whether it could impose a time‑bound schedule on a subordinate civil court. It relied on the Supreme Court’s decision in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) which holds that constitutional courts should not fix such schedules except in exceptional circumstances, and on the Division Bench’s ruling in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) which declined to direct a lower court for expeditious hearing. Applying these precedents, the Court concluded that it could not direct the subordinate court to expedite the suit. The petition was therefore dismissed, with a suggestion that the petitioner may move an application before the trial court itself.

Issues considered

  • Whether a High Court can issue a direction under Article 227 to a subordinate civil court to dispose of a suit within a stipulated time.
  • Whether the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) preclude such direction except in exceptional circumstances.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • Writ petition
  • Article 227
  • Expeditious disposal
  • Time‑bound schedule
  • High Court jurisdiction
  • Civil suit
  • Urgency

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
            MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 13007 of 2026

Sushila Rani Saxena Widow
                                                                     .....Petitioner(s)
                                       Versus

Rohit Saxena
                                                                   .....Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s)                       :   Gopal Krishna Pandey
Counsel for Respondent(s)                       :


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

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

     "It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this Hon'ble Court may
     graciously be pleased to direct the Civil Judge (Senior Division) IIIrd,
     Mathura to conclude the proceeding of Civil Suit bearing O.S. No.525 of
     2020) (Sudhir Kumar Saxena vs. Rohit Saxena) within stipulated period
     so that the justice may be done; otherwise the applicant /petitioner shall
     suffer irreparable loss and injury."

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;"
                                                                 A227 No. 13007 of 2026
                                    2


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
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. 525 of 2020 before the court concerned who
                                                                                            A227 No. 13007 of 2026
                                                                   3


                                    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.

                                    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 18, 2026
                                    A. V. Singh




Digitally signed by :-
AJAY VIKRAM SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad


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