In letter to CJ, Allahabad HC judges seek full court meeting in Justice Prashant Kumar's matter

Prayagraj: A group of judges of the Allahabad High Court has written to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali urging him to convene a full court meeting in response to the Supreme Court's recent order to have Justice Prashant Kumar removed from the criminal roster.

The letter has been written by Justice Arindam Sinha expressing pain over the apex court order passed on August, 4, 2025 and seven judges have signed the letter.

In its order, the top court made strong observations against Justice Kumar's judicial reasoning and further directed the high court administration to remove him from the criminal roster. It also asked that he be assigned to a division bench alongside a senior judge until his retirement.

The directions were issued by a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan while hearing a petition filed by M/s Shikhar Chemicals. The company had approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash criminal proceedings initiated over a commercial dispute.

The high court had earlier dismissed the company's plea with Justice Prashant Kumar holding that compelling the complainant to pursue a civil remedy would be "very unreasonable," and that criminal proceedings could be allowed to recover the dues.

The Supreme Court overturned this reasoning stating, "We are shocked by the findings recorded in paragraph 12 of the impugned order. The judge has gone to the extent of stating that asking the complainant to pursue civil remedy would be very unreasonable as civil suits take a long time, and therefore the complainant may be permitted to institute criminal proceedings for recovery."

The apex court found this approach "untenable," set aside the high court's order, and directed that the matter be heard afresh by a different judge.