Allahabad High Court
SMT PREMPYARI PANDEY AND ANOTHERversusOMVEER SINGH AND ANOTHER
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The High Court held that, absent exceptional circumstances, it cannot direct a subordinate civil court to dispose of a suit within a stipulated time period.
Summary
The petitioners sought a writ directing the Civil Judge (Junior Division) in Kanpur to decide their civil suit (Case No. 705 of 2021) expeditiously under Sections 31 and 6 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963. The High Court examined whether it could impose a time‑bound schedule on a subordinate court under Article 227. 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 decision in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) which declined to order expedited hearing of a civil suit. Applying these precedents, the Court concluded that no exceptional urgency was shown and that it was not appropriate to direct the lower court. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, with the Court advising the petitioners to move an application for expeditious disposal directly before the trial court. 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 civil court to dispose of a suit within a stipulated time period.
- Whether the circumstances of the present case constitute an 'exceptional' situation justifying such a time‑bound direction.
Legislation cited
- Specific Relief Act, 1963 — s. 31, 6
Subjects
- Article 227
- Article 226
- Specific Relief Act
- expeditious disposal
- time‑bound direction
- civil suit
- high court jurisdiction
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 13319 of 2026
Smt Prempyari Pandey And Another
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Omveer Singh And Another
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Shiv Narayan Mishra, Yashvant Kumar
Venvansh
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) direct the learned Civil Judge (Junior Division), Kanpur Nagar, to
decide the Case No. 705 of 2021 (Smt. Prempyari Pandey and Another
Versus Omveer Singh and Another), Under Section 31 and 6 of the
Specific Relief Act, 1963, pending before the Civil Judge (Junior
Division)/F.T.C., Kanpur Nagar, expeditiously, within stipulated time
period as fixed by this Hon'ble Court, (Annexure No.1 to this petition)."
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. 13319 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 Case No. 705 of 2021 before the court concerned who will
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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 23, 2026
A. V. Singh
Digitally signed by :-
AJAY VIKRAM SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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