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Allahabad High Court

VIPIN MITTALversusAJAY VERMA AND 3 OTHERS

Decided

Holding

The High Court held that it cannot issue a direction to the subordinate court to expedite the suit absent exceptional circumstances.

Summary

The petitioner, Vipin Mittal, filed a writ petition under Article 227 seeking a direction to the Civil Judge (Senior Division) of District Auraiya to decide Suit No. 109 of 2020 within a stipulated period. The Court examined the Supreme Court’s decision in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024) which cautioned constitutional courts against imposing time‑bound schedules on lower courts except in exceptional cases. It also relied on the Division Bench judgment in Ali Shad Usmani v. Ali Isteba (2015) which refused to direct a subordinate court for expeditious hearing of a civil suit. Applying these precedents, the High Court concluded that no exceptional urgency was shown and that such direction would upset the discretion of the trial court. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, with the Court advising the petitioner to move an application before the trial court for any expeditious disposal.

Issues considered

  • Can a High Court, under Article 227, direct a subordinate civil court to decide a suit within a stipulated period?
  • Does the Supreme Court precedent in High Court Bar Association v. State of Uttar Pradesh restrict such directions to exceptional circumstances?
  • Is there sufficient urgency to justify an order for expeditious disposal of the suit?

Subjects

  • Article 227
  • Writ petition
  • Expeditious disposal
  • High Court direction
  • Civil suit
  • Judicial discretion
  • Urgency

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
            MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 13387 of 2026

Vipin Mittal
                                                                     .....Petitioner(s)
                                       Versus

Ajay Verma And 3 Others
                                                                   .....Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s)           : Akhilesh Kumar Tiwari, Rohit Kumar
                                      Chaturvedi
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- To direct the Civil Judge (Senior Division), District Auraiya to decide
     the Suit No. 109 of 2020 (Vipin Mittal & Anr. Vs. Ajay Verma & Othrs.),
     pending before him, within the stipulated period."

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
sub-ordinate courts for deciding the suit within stipulated period. Relevant
                                                                 A227 No. 13387 of 2026
                                    2


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. 109 of 2020 (Vipin Mittal & Anr. Vs. Ajay Verma &
Othrs.) 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.
                                                                                            A227 No. 13387 of 2026
                                                                    3


                                    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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