In a recent hearing, the Allahabad High Court highlighted the immense pressure trial judges face with hundreds of cases daily, asserting that not every mistake indicates malicious intent.
During a property dispute case in Lucknow, it was alleged that the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s order had been tampered with. Justice Mohd. Faiz Alam Khan addressed these concerns, stating that mistakes in judicial proceedings are not always due to ulterior motives but can often result from the overwhelming number of cases judges handle.
The Court was informed that the District and Sessions Court had already begun investigating the suspected manipulation, which might have been caused by a “mischievous person” altering the order sheet for personal gain.
Justice Khan emphasized that those familiar with trial courts know how challenging it is for judicial officers, particularly in busy courts like the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s, to track every case accurately. Errors, therefore, should not immediately be viewed with suspicion.
In this specific case, the trial court initially set April 8 as the hearing date, but it was later changed to April 3 without notifying the petitioners’ counsel. As a result, an order was passed in the counsel’s absence. The High Court had previously asked the CJM to report on this discrepancy and ordered a status quo.
However, considering the ongoing inquiry, the Court decided on May 30 to refrain from further intervention. Justice Khan noted that since the District and Sessions Judge is investigating the alleged manipulation, no further action is required from the High Court at this time.
The petitioners were represented by Advocate Anas Sherwani, while Advocate Vijay Dixit appeared for the High Court.
