High Court raps Ropar civic body, terms appeal 'unintelligible'

Chandigarh, November 23

“Connsel for the petitioner is not will, kandly addj. The metar for week” — If you cannot comprehend what is written, you are not the only one. Describing it as “unintelligible”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asserted that it was unfortunate that the counsel did not even make an effort to read the adjournment slips before appending their signatures.

Counsel don’t read adjournment slips

The contents of the adjournment slip are unintelligible. It is unfortunate that counsel do not even make an effort to read the adjournment slips on which they are appending their signatures. — Justice Alka Sarin

The assertion came as Justice Alka Sarin of the High Court rapped the Ropar Municipal Council while taking up a regular second appeal filed by it nearly five years ago against Vikramjit Singh and another respondent.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing before the Bench, Justice Sarin observed that no one was present in the court on behalf of the appellant-council. Justice Sarin added that the appeal pertained to 2017, but was still at the stage of preliminary hearing. The case had repeatedly been adjourned on the request of the counsel for the appellant.

“Today again, an adjournment slip has been circulated. However, nobody is present in the court to press the said adjournment slip…. The contents of the adjournment slip are unintelligible. It is unfortunate that counsel do not even make an effort to read the adjournment slips on which they are appending their signatures,” Justice Sarin asserted in her order.

Before parting with the matter, Justice Sarin granted one last opportunity to the appellant council. The Bench observed that the appeal was being adjourned for one last time, keeping in view the fact that the matter pertained to 2017. “It is made clear that no further adjournment shall be granted on any account whatsoever,” Justice Sarin concluded. The case came up for resumed hearing before the Bench today, and has now been adjourned to July 13 next.

The matter assumes significance as the long pendency of cases, among other things, is often attributed to a shortage of judges. However, the case details make it clear that factors, other than the number of judges and the functioning of the judiciary, are at times responsible for the delay. As of now, 4,52,170 criminal and civil cases are pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A perusal of the case details makes it clear that the matter was initially listed for hearing before a Bench on March 23, 2017. It was, in fact, placed before different Benches at least 12 times since then. Two of the judges hearing the matter have since retired upon attaining the age of superannuation, while one has been transferred out.