Can't defy order: SC raps Registry over case deletion

The Supreme Court has placed its own Registry under scrutiny, directing it to explain why cases are being unilaterally deleted from the cause list without informing the judges beforehand.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

A bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and N Kotiswar Singh issued the directive on Wednesday, expressing concern over the Registry's failure to follow established procedures.

The order stemmed from an incident where a petition scheduled for hearing was inexplicably removed from the cause list. "The Registry has deleted this case for no reason. Once a matter has been shown in the daily cause list, the Registry cannot delete the same," the bench recorded in its order. Justice Oka further noted that this was not the first instance of such an irregularity.

The bench's frustration was highlighted when it said that judges burn the midnight oil preparing for cases, making it imperative for the Registry to inform the judges in advance if there is any valid reason to delete a case.