After protest by 13 Allahabad HC judges, SC rescinds bar on judge from hearing criminal cases

The Supreme Court on Friday rescinded an order it had passed four days ago barring an Allahabad High Court judge from hearing criminal cases till he retires, Live Law reported.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had on August 4 criticised the High Court’s Justice Prashant Kumar for an order in which he had refused to quash a criminal complaint on the grounds that a civil remedy for recovering the money would not be effective.

The Supreme Court had then asked Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Arun Bhansali not to assign any criminal cases to Kumar till he retires.

On Thursday, 13 judges of the High Court wrote to Bhansali, asking him to convene a full court to consider not giving effect to the Supreme Court’s directions on not assigning criminal cases to Kumar, Live Law reported.

Justice Arindam Sinha of the High Court wrote the letter, and 12 other judges signed it.

The letter sought the consideration of a resolution that read: “The Full Court resolves that directions made in paragraphs 24 to 26 in subject order dated 4th August, 2025 is not to be complied with as the Supreme Court does not have administrative superintendence over the High Courts. Furthermore, the Full Court records its anguish in respect of tone...

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