The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur dismissed a writ petition filed by petitioner challenging the administrative dismissal of his complaint against a judicial magistrate. The Court imposed exemplary costs of ₹50,000 on the petitioner for making “frivolous and outrageous allegations” against a judge of the district judiciary.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Amit Seth held that the complaint alleging misconduct by a magistrate during the petitioner’s criminal trial was based on unverified and fanciful claims, aimed at pressuring the judiciary while his appeal against conviction under Section 332 IPC was pending.
The Court clarified that administrative decisions of the High Court—especially those concerning complaints against judicial officers are not challengeable unless they infringe upon a statutory or constitutional right. It emphasized that a complainant has no vested legal right to demand action against a judge for judicial decisions.
Condemning the tactic as an attempt to “overawe the district judiciary,” the Court remarked on the challenging position of trial court judges, caught between scrutiny from higher courts and litigants misusing the complaint mechanism. It concluded that such conduct must be “dealt with a heavy hand.”
The petitioner was directed to deposit the cost with the M.P. State Legal Services Authority within ten days, failing which recovery proceedings would follow.
Appearances:
Petitioner: Shri Narinder Pal Singh Ruprah – Senior Advocate with Ms. Muskan
Respondent: Shri Rajvardhan Dutt Pararha – Government Advocate for State.