3 min readLucknowUpdated: Feb 14, 2026 01:02 PM IST
A bench of Justices Neeraj Tiwari and Garima Prashad directed the Varanasi Municipal Corporation to demolish the building within two weeks from Friday. (File Photo)
“It had a demoralising and chilling effect on me” — this was how Justice Pankaj Bhatia of the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench described the impact of observations made by the Supreme Court, when it set aside a bail order issued by him in a dowry death case.
Justice Bhatia made the remark while hearing a bail application of a murder accused on Friday, whose first bail plea was rejected by the High Court in November last year. He went on to request the Chief Justice not to assign him the bail roster in future, and that the present petition be assigned to another bench.
Justice Bhatia said, “… a second bail application was placed before me. My attention was drawn to reports circulated in Live Law with regard to a judgment passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court… While hearing a Criminal Appeal challenging a bail order passed by me, Hon’ble the Supreme Court had made certain observations.”
Justice Pankaj Bhatia
What did the Supreme Court say?
According to him, the SC (in paragraph 4) had said, “The impugned order is one of the most shocking and disappointing orders that we have come across over a period of time.”
“We fail to understand on plain reading of the impugned order as to what the High Court is trying to convey. What weighed with the High Court in exercising its discretion in favour of the accused for the purpose of grant of bail in a very serious crime like dowry death. What did the High Court do? All that the High Court did was to record the submission of the defence counsel and thereafter proceed to observe that the accused was in jail since 27.07.2025 and there being no criminal history, he was entitled to bail. Accordingly, bail came to be granted,” the top court further said.
The SC (in paragraph 29) also said, “Registry is directed to forward one copy of this order to the Registrar General of the High Court of Allahabad, who in turn shall place this order before Hon’ble the Chief Justice of the High Court of Allahabad.”
Referring to this, Justice Bhatia further said, “Although, it is well known that there is no judge who can claim that his order never has been set aside or interfered, and I also feel from the perusal of the judgment that the bail order granting the bail was apparently subject to interference, however, the observations made in the judgment particularly in paras 4 and 29 have had a huge demoralising and chilling effect on me.”
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“In view thereof, I do not deem it appropriate to hear the present bail application,” he added.
“The bail application is released to be placed before Hon’ble the Chief Justice for assigning the same to another Bench with a further request to the Hon’ble Chief Justice not to assign Bail Roster to me in future,” his order read.
Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution.
Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape.
Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More
Justice Pankaj Bhatia