13 HC Judges Urge CJ to Defy SC Order on Justice Kumar

IN an unprecedented move, 13 judges of Allahabad High Court, taking exception to the observations made by a division bench of the Supreme Court on a sitting judge of the HC, urged the Chief Justice of the court to call a full court meeting and also defy the SC order on August 4 that took away Justice Prashant Kumar's criminal roster until his retirement.

- NAMITA BAJPAI @ Lucknow

The 13 judges, writing a letter to the Chief Justice, urged that the directions made in paragraph 24 to 26 of the Supreme Court order regarding the HC judge should not be complied with, as according to them, "the Supreme Court does not have administrative superintendence over the High Courts."

The judges also urged the full court of Allahabad HC to "record its anguish with respect to the tone and tenor of the said order of the SC".

A full court refers to an HC session where all or a significant number of the court's judges are present.