The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has lashed out at what it called a revolting practice—petitions and applications bearing “reddish saliva stains” on their pages.
Justice Shree Prakash Singh, in a stern order dated September 22, noted that over ten different filings had arrived before him with unmistakable marks of spit used to turn pages. “This Court finds it disgusting and condemnable,” he declared, making clear that such a habit had no place in judicial proceedings.
The judge pointed out that these stains could have been left at multiple stages—whether by clerks, oath commissioners, registry staff, or even offices handling government matters. The greater concern, he warned, was the health hazard such unhygienic handling posed: “If this filthy practice is not stopped, it may cause infections. This is intolerable at any cost.”
To stamp out the problem, the Court has directed the registry to reject any petition, application, or paper book carrying saliva spots. Senior Registrar and Registry officials were instructed to inspect documents carefully before acceptance.
The order further pressed the Government Advocate and Chief Standing Counsel to issue written directions ensuring that no such practice creeps back into the filing process.