The Allahabad High Court has stepped in after a bizarre judicial slip-up led to two contradictory orders being uploaded in a defamation case. The mix-up, which surfaced in the case Parul Agarwal vs State of UP and Another, prompted the court to direct a formal investigation into how such a blunder occurred.
The controversy stems from the Ghaziabad trial court’s actions on February 13. On that day, two conflicting rulings emerged: one dismissed the defamation complaint, while the other summoned the accused to face trial. The twist? The dismissal order wasn’t even signed, while the trial summons bore the necessary signatures.
Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery, overseeing the matter, was informed of this puzzling situation and, while noting the Magistrate’s inexperience and youth, refrained from taking immediate punitive action. He instead ordered the District Judge of Ghaziabad to investigate how unsigned draft orders made their way online without the Magistrate’s approval.
The Court acknowledged the Magistrate’s apology, who blamed the upload on his staff’s unintentional error. Yet, both orders were quashed, with the unsigned documents barred from being part of the case record. The High Court has now sent the case back to the trial court for a fresh ruling, insisting it be handled promptly and in accordance with the law.
In this tangled web of missteps, all involved must await the outcome of the inquiry as the justice system works to unravel its own contradictions.
