Latest news with #LucknowBench
News18
02-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘Scandalous, Contemptuous': Allahabad HC Dismisses Plea Accusing Trial Judge Of Bribery
Last Updated: The bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi said that the allegations were not only false and vague but also appeared to be a calculated attempt to delay judicial proceedings. The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) recently dismissed a plea by former LACFEDD Managing Director Brahma Prakash Singh seeking transfer of a money laundering trial on allegations that the special judge demanded a Rs 1 crore bribe for his acquittal. The bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi said that the allegations were not only false and vague but also appeared to be a calculated attempt to delay judicial proceedings. Singh, who is facing trial under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a 2018 Enforcement Directorate (ED) complaint, had approached the high court under Article 226 of the Constitution challenging the sessions court's refusal to transfer the case. Court noted that Singh had been convicted earlier in a corruption case and was currently out on bail during the pendency of his appeal. The bribery allegation against the special judge surfaced for the first time in December 2024—nearly three months after the alleged demand was made in court, and notably after the trial court had passed multiple orders against him. 'Apparently, the transfer application has been devised to avoid facing trial before the court," the high court observed. The sessions judge, who earlier rejected Singh's transfer request, had sought comments from the trial judge. The latter outright denied the bribery allegations, stating that no such interaction could have occurred without the presence of court staff and prosecutors. He also accused Singh and his counsel of trying to mount pressure on the court and disrupt proceedings. Singh's counsel, who admitted to receiving the alleged bribe demand by the special judge, told the high court that he delayed reporting it to avoid conflict with a judicial officer. However, the high court found this explanation implausible and inconsistent with conduct expected from a legal professional. What drew even sharper judicial rebuke were Singh's allegations against a sitting high court judge. The transfer application claimed that Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan had deliberately refused to pass an interim order in a Section 482 CrPC plea, even though the petition had merit. Justice Vidyarthi termed these claims 'scandalous and contemptuous," reiterating the Supreme Court's precedent that statements recorded in judicial orders cannot be questioned by extraneous evidence. 'I find myself in complete agreement with the view taken by the learned sessions judge," the bench held, adding that Singh's writ petition lacked merit and deserved outright dismissal.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
LU asst prof gets anticipatory bail on Pahalgam attack post
Lucknow: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad high court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Madri Kakoti, an assistant professor of linguistics at Lucknow University , for her controversial posts on social media after the Pahalgam terror attack. The order was passed by the vacation single bench of Justice Rajiv Singh on Monday. Kakoti's advocate SMH Rizvi said the main argument put forward on behalf of Prof. Kakoti was that she had no connection with any political party and neither had she ever participated in any protest-demonstration etc. Teacher and satirist Madri Kakoti, whose online avatar Dr Medusa has 1,50,000 followers on X, was charged on April 29 with sedition and causing disharmony through a social media post on the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. ABVP's Jati Shukla alias Manmohan Shukla had lodged an FIR with Hasanganj police station on April 28. Along with other sections in the said FIR, the police also imposed section 152 of BNS under which the punishment is up to life imprisonment. Lucknow University had issued Kakoti a show-cause notice after ABVP students staged a protest on campus. Protesters alleged the teacher's remark had been reposted by a Pak media handle, tarnishing India's and the university's reputation. They submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor, demanding action against her. The allegedly seditious post included a video in which Kakoti said that religious profiling before killing someone is terrorism, as is enquiring about religion before lynching.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Lucknow Bench of Allahabad HC seeks locus standi of petitioners on plea against ban on Bahraich Urs
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court asked the locus standi (right to sue) of the petitioners to file the plea challenging the order of the local administration restraining the mela committee from organising the annual urs at the Dargah of Syed Salar Masood Ghazi in Bahraich. The division bench, comprising Justice AR Masoodi and Justice AK Srivastava (I) granted time to the petitioners by posting the matter on May 19 as the next date of hearing. A bench of passed the order on the writ petition filed by Waqf No. 19, Dargah Sharif, Bahraich. Taking up the petition, the Bench asked the petitioners to prove their right to sue in the present case and said it would hear the plea only on merit. Appearing on behalf of petitioners, advocate LP Mishra said that if Kumbh could be organised, why 'urs' was not being allowed by the authorities concerned. Mishra called it a discrimination based on religion by the state authorities in violation of the right to profess religion under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Allahabad HC allows withdrawal of PIL seeking cancellation of Rahul Gandhi's citizenship
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad high court has dismissed as withdrawn a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) filed by BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir from Karnataka, who sought the cancellation of Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship. The plea also sought a ban on Gandhi's foreign travel during the pendency of the alleged citizenship issue. A Division Bench comprising Justice A R Masoodi and Justice Ajai Kumar Srivastava passed the order on Wednesday. This was the third petition moved by the same petitioner raising questions over Gandhi's citizenship status. Shishir's earlier two petitions had also been dismissed by the court. In its latest order, the bench permitted the petitioner to withdraw the present petition with the liberty to file a review of the court's earlier decision dated May 5, 2025. The bench observed that the petitioner had made a representation to the central government on the issue. 'The court cannot enter into the arena unless something legally justified is placed before it,' the bench noted. During the hearing, the petitioner alleged that Rahul Gandhi entered Vietnam using a British passport and claimed that the United Kingdom's government had sent the said passport to the Indian authorities. 'I have 200 pages to show Gandhi is a citizen of the UK,' Shishir told the court. However, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the arguments and declined to entertain the petition. 'Dismissed as withdrawn with liberty to file a review of the previous order (May 5),' the bench ordered. On May 5, 2025, the court disposed of Shishir's second petition, which alleged that Gandhi holds dual citizenship. At the time, the court had granted the petitioner the option to explore alternative legal remedies.
Hans India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Allahabad HC dismisses PIL against Rahul's dual citizenship
Lucknow: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, holds dual citizenship of India and the United Kingdom. The PIL was filed by BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir from Karnataka, claiming that Rahul Gandhi was a citizen of Britain as well as India, making him ineligible to contest elections under Article 84 (A) of the Constitution. During the hearing, the Lucknow Bench directed the Central government to submit details of the action taken so far on the case, after which the case was dismissed. Earlier, the court, in its last hearing, expressed dissatisfaction with the status report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to directly address whether Gandhi is an Indian citizen. The bench had then granted 10 days for the government to submit a revised report, explicitly answering the question of Gandhi's citizenship status following a petition filed alleging that the Congress MP has dual citizenship.
