Allahabad High Court
BRIJESH KUMARversusAMAR SINGH AND ANOTHER
- Decided
- Bench
- ROHIT RANJAN AGARWAL
Holding
The High Court held that it cannot direct the subordinate court to expedite the suit within a stipulated period, and dismissed the petition.
Summary
The petitioner, Brijesh Kumar, filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction to the Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), Court No. 13, Allahabad, to decide his civil suit (Original Suit No. 0724/2015) within a stipulated time, alleging irreparable loss if delayed. The High Court examined the authority to issue such time‑bound directions, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) 6 SCC 267, which restricts constitutional courts from imposing schedules except in exceptional cases. It also relied on the Division Bench judgment in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) 2 ADJ 250 (DB), which declined to direct a subordinate court for expeditious hearing. Applying these precedents, the Court concluded that it could not compel the lower court to set a fixed timeline. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, with a suggestion that the petitioner may approach the trial court directly for an expeditious disposal application.
Issues considered
- Can a High Court, exercising its supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227, issue a direction to a subordinate civil court to decide a suit within a stipulated period?
- Does the Supreme Court’s pronouncement in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) preclude such time‑bound directives except in exceptional circumstances?
Subjects
- Article 227
- Article 226
- Time‑bound disposal
- Expeditious hearing
- Civil suit
- High Court direction
- Supervisory jurisdiction
- Supreme Court precedent
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 13358 of 2026
Brijesh Kumar
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
Amar Singh And Another
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Ashish Kumar, Girish Singh
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) issue an order or direction directing the court of Additional Civil
Judge (Senior Division), Court No. 13, Allahabad to decide Original Suit
No. 0724/2015 Brijesh Kumar Versus Amar Singh and another and others
pending before Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), Court No. 13,
Allahabad within certain stipulated period of time pending as this Hon'ble
Court may deem fit and proper considering the facts and circumstances of
the case otherwise the applicant 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 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;"
A227 No. 13358 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 Suit No. 0724/2015 (Brijesh Kumar Versus Amar Singh 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
A227 No. 13358 of 2026
3
Hon’ble Apex Court.
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 24, 2026
(V. S. SINGH)
Digitally signed by :-
VIDYA SAGAR SINGH
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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