HC raps Vacation Bench over GO No. 1

PNS|Vijayawada

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday rapped the Vacation Bench in the case pertaining to the State government’s GO No 1 which was issued following the death of eight people in two separate TDP public meetings in Nellore and Guntur districts.

Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra asked the Vacation Bench what was the urgency in filing a lunch motion in the case. “The case didn’t seem to be of such an urgent nature,” the CJ said.

The CJ asked whether the petitioner had staged any dharna or protest that they had to file a lunch-motion in the winter court, “What was the urgency if the order has not endured to the benefit of the petitioner?” he questioned.

The CJ stated that the Vacation Bench behaved like a ‘De facto Chief Justice’. In his observations, the CJ said that the vacation bench had acted beyond its limitations and had belittled the position of the CJ by taking up the case, he said. If every vacation court in the HC takes up any matter saying it’s important then what would happen to the institution? Adding further, he said that every vacation judge can become a CJ if this kind of practice is allowed to go on.

The AP High Court, while refusing to extend the interim order, has posted the matter for hearing to January 24