Allahabad High Court Warns Against Baseless Allegations Targeting Judiciary

The Allahabad High Court issued a stern warning against baseless accusations aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the judiciary, asserting that such behavior undermines the justice system. Justice JJ Munir stressed the importance of quelling such unfounded allegations to preserve the integrity of the courts.

The court stated, "This Court is of opinion that the allegations on which the transfer has been sought are reflective of a tendency amongst members of the citizens, where they consider the authority and the moral uprightness of the Courts in poor light because they might have experiences of that kind in other walks of life. In doing that, they do much harm to the justice dispensation system. This kind of a tendency of hurling allegations at Courts without the slightest fear of the outcome, if the allegations fail or are found to be made on hollow ground, must be put down with a heavy hand in the larger interest of administration of justice."

The case revolved around allegations made in an election petition. The petitioner, Aliyari, accused the husband of the elected Pradhan (respondent) of influencing the outcome of the petition due to his profession as a practicing advocate. Allegedly, he boasted about influencing the presiding officer in favor of his wife's case. However, the district judge found no substantial evidence to support these claims and dismissed the transfer application.

Upon review, the High Court disagreed with the district judge's assessment of the petitioner's conduct. While acknowledging that the petitioner was not deliberately delaying proceedings, the court condemned the scandalous and baseless allegations made for seeking the transfer of the case. Consequently, the High Court not only rejected the petition but also imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000.

Advocate Pankaj Dwivedi represented the appellant in the case.