Plea for HC circuit bench at Bhopal rejected

Jabalpur, June 22 (UNI) A petition seeking establishment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court's circuit bench in the state capital has been rejected by the court.

Citing Article 214 of the Constitution and State Reorganisation Act 1956, a division bench comprising Mr Justice Deepak Verma and Mr Justice S C Sinho said the Chief Justice of the High Court, on the recommendation of the Governor, is empowered to establish a circuit bench of the High Court and therefore, the bench cannot issue any directive.

While rejecting the petition moved by Satyapal Anand of Indore and advocate Ankit Saxena yesterday, the judges observed that Anand was a litigant very often raised matters of public interest to gain media mileage. A heavy penalty should be imposed on the petitioner, but leniency is being shown in view of his old age, they added.

The judges observed that keeping in view the interest of the people, the High Court's principal seat was set up at Jabalpur and its benches at Indore and Gwalior during the reorganisation of the state.

''Dignity of the High Court should not be lowered by establishing its circuit benches at different places,'' the judges observed, adding there was no force in the petition and therefore it is rejected.

In his petition, Anand said the state government is a party in about 70 per cent of the cases and the government has to incur heavy expenditure as the officers have to travel from Bhopal to Jabalpur for court appearances.

UNI