Allahabad High Court
GAYA PRASADversusLAL BAHADUR YADAV AND 2 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The High Court declined to direct the subordinate court for expeditious disposal, holding that such directions are inappropriate absent exceptional circumstances.
Summary
The petitioner, Gaya Prasad, filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction to the Civil Judge (Junior Division) in Duddhi, Sonbhadra, to decide Original Suit No. 107/2022 within a stipulated period. The Court examined the recent Supreme Court decision in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) which held that constitutional courts should not fix time‑bound schedules for cases pending before other courts except in exceptional circumstances. It also relied on the Division Bench judgment in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) which declined to issue directions for expeditious hearing of a civil suit, emphasizing the discretion of the trial court. Applying these precedents, the High Court concluded that it could not direct the subordinate court to expedite the suit. Consequently, the petition was dismissed and the petitioner was advised to approach the trial court directly for any expeditious disposal application. The order was communicated to the concerned court within 48 hours.
Issues considered
- Whether a High Court can issue a direction under Article 227 to a subordinate court to decide a civil suit within a stipulated time.
- Whether constitutional courts may fix time‑bound schedules for disposal of cases pending before other courts.
- Whether the precedents set by High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) and Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) preclude such directions.
Subjects
- Article 227
- Article 226
- writ petition
- expeditious disposal
- high court direction
- subordinate court
- case management
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 13017 of 2026
Gaya Prasad
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Lal Bahadur Yadav And 2 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Jaysingh Yadav, Vikas Kumar
Counsel for Respondent(s) :
Court No. - 9
HON'BLE ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL, J.
1. This writ petition has been filed with the following prayer:-
"I. Direct the learned Civil Judge (Junior Division)/Magistrate Duddhi
Sonbhadra to decide Original Suit no. 107/2022 (Gaya Prasad versus
Lalbahadur and others) pending since 21.11.2022 before Civil Judge
(Junior Division)/Magistrate Duddhi Sonbhadra 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 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. 13017 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. 107 of 2022 before the court concerned who
will decide the same on the basis of pendency of cases before it and also
A227 No. 13017 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 18, 2026
A. V. Singh
Digitally signed by :-
AJAY VIKRAM SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
Checking your session…