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Synopsis

The Allahabad High Court has recently ordered the High Court Registrar General to conduct a detailed inquiry into the wrongs that surfaced in the listing of matters on the part of officers at the National Informatics Centre.

The Registrar General has been directed to conclude the inquiry within four weeks positively and place the report in the chambers of Justice Samit Gopal at 4:00 p.m. on November 7, 2023.

While hearing a second bail application on September 29, 2023, the bench of Justice Samit Gopal had noted that the plea at hand, despite continuously being listed before him on multiple dates, had been listed before a different bench on one date. He had then ordered the Registrar Listing of the High Court to give a report on the same. 

In pursuance of the order, J.R. (J) (Listing), High Court, Allahabad filed a report.

On perusal of a report on October 4, the single judge bench noted that in the listing of the case, a particular ID had been used for a feeding in the computer which was not on the basis of any order passed in the matter.

He further pointed out that it appeared that after the previous order, the said entry had been changed by the user of the same ID.

"It is really surprising to note that once an entry is made in the computer, how the same after passage of sufficient time is changed," he said. 

"The same appears to be with the nod of the concerned persons of N.I.C., High Court, Allahabad, the judge," he opined. 

He further highlighted that in the report, there had been four other instances done from the same ID by which matters had been marked in other courts without any order.

Therefore, taking note of the same, the single judge bench ordered for the detailed enquiry as per rules and appropriate action against the delinquent persons.

"The Registrar General shall also ensure that the persons found involved in the matter as per the report of the J.R. (J) (Listing) are kept away from having access to computer system so that further mischief is avoided. The said enquiry be concluded within four weeks positively and its report be placed before this Court in Chambers at 4:00 pm on 07.11.2023," the bench ordered. 

Furthermore, it clarified that the enquiry shall proceed separately since the present matter was a bail application and the same needed to be decided expeditiously.

"The Inquiry Officer shall also inquire regarding the role of the concerned persons of N.I.C., High Court, Allahabad as the fact which appears from the enquiry report goes to show that the feeding once done has been changed without any judicial order or administrative order which cannot be permitted to be done in any manner. It is not permissible at all. This thus brings the system in N.I.C. also suspect," bench added. 

Regarding the bail application, the judge allowed the prayer made by the counsel for the petitioner that since the trial in the matter had started and the testimony of some witnesses had been recorded, therefore, wanting to bring them on record by means of a supplementary affidavit, three weeks' time for the same was needed. 

The matter will be next heard on November 22, 2023.

Case Title: Sajjan Kumar v. State of UP