Patna HC dropped Proceedings against a Bihar District Judge following the Apex Court's Intervention

Case: Shashi Kant Rai v. High Court of Judicature at Patna & Anr

Bench: Justices UU Lalit and S Ravindra Bhat

Patna High Court dropped proceedings against a Bihar district judge who was suspended with effect from February this year, following the Apex Court's intervention. The order released today states that the HC had decided to drop departmental proceedings against the Special Judge - POCSO after the Top Court passed its order earlier this week.

The judge was penalized for completing a minor's rape trial in a day. Shashi Kant Rai, an Additional Sessions Judge from Araria in Bihar, moved to the SC challenging the suspension order issued by the HC.

The bench said that we advise to drop everything. If you don't want to, we'll go threadbare into it..unless there are allegations of corruption and malafide only then disciplinary action is justified. Moreover, he was only following up on his orders, extremely unfair to him...It sends a bad message to other judges.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh represented the Petitioner before the SC and said that Rai was willing to submit a statement to the HC rebutting the charges against him.

Registrar General and state government were notified through s notice by the SC on July 29 that Rai's suspension order and pending disciplinary proceedings against him did not record any reasons.