Allahabad HC Bar Association Alleges Contemptuous Conduct By Justice Ajay Bhanot, Says It Will Boycott His Court

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has said it will boycott Justice Ajay Bhanot’s court if appropriate action is not taken on its complaint alleging that an advocate was humiliated during a court proceeding on October 27.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, the association alleged that Justice Bhanot directed the advocate to apologise to a police officer following a dispute over seating arrangements in the courtroom and threatened to send him to jail.

“इससे यह स्पष्ट है कि यदि कोर्ट अधिवक्ता का अपमान करने के लिए स्वतंत्र है, तो अधिवक्ता भी कोर्ट का अपमान करने से पीछे नहीं हटेगा (This makes it clear that if the court is free to insult an advocate, the advocate too will not hesitate to insult the court),” said the letter.

The association alleged that the incident took place in Courtroom 49, where Justice Bhanot was presiding.

On Wednesday morning, chaos erupted in the courtroom, with chairs and other furniture being thrown around, disrupting proceedings and preventing the court from functioning.

According to the letter, a separate seating arrangement had been made in the courtroom for police officers and other senior officials. It alleged that a police superintendent from a district was seated behind the Additional Government Advocate (AGA), prompting an advocate to ask the officer to move, saying that the seat was not meant for him.

The association claimed that the AGA objected to the advocate’s remarks and said he would complain to the judge when he arrived in court.

According to the letter, the AGA subsequently raised the issue before Justice Bhanot, who allegedly pointed towards the advocate and directed that he be sent to jail. The association further alleged that when the advocate sought to apologise, the judge asked him to apologise to the police superintendent.

The letter stated that the advocate apologised to the officer. It also claimed that Justice Bhanot threw a letter belonging to senior advocate B P Srivastava in the courtroom, which the association said had hurt the dignity of advocates present there.

Describing the alleged conduct as an affront to the dignity of the legal profession, the association urged the Chief Justice to take serious note of the incident and initiate appropriate action.

The association also objected to the alleged practice of reserving seats in the courtroom for particular individuals, questioning the propriety of such an arrangement.

The letter characterised the judge’s alleged conduct as falling within the category of contempt and said that the Bar Association would boycott his court if its concerns were not addressed.