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Supreme Court orders sealed-cover review in Lakhimpur Kheri case

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 5:13 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Supreme Court Orders Review

Supreme Court ordered a review of trial-judge allegations in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.
Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana required a sealed-cover report.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged the trial judge mishandled cases and granted bail improperly.
The Court instructed Uttar Pradesh to name a senior prosecutor within two weeks.
The bench noted procedural breach could cause miscarriage of justice and that the trial record lacks a site plan.

Summary

Allahabad Court Dismisses

The Allahabad High Court quashed the criminal case on September 18 2026, citing lack of evidence.
Justice Dr Gautam Chowdhary led the single-judge bench that dismissed the FIR.
Charges under the Disaster Management Act 2005, Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, and IPC sections 188, 269, 270, 307 were dropped.
The ruling adds to a growing series of High Court decisions overturning pandemic-era prosecutions of Tablighi Jamaat attendees.

History

Historical Context

After the Supreme Court’s 7-6 verdict in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (23 March 1973) established the basic-structure doctrine, later rulings such as Minerva Mills (1980) and L. Chandra Kumar (1997) reinforced judicial review as a constitutional core. In 2026 Justice Surya Kant’s probe of a Kheri judge and Justice Gautam Chowdhary’s dismissal of Tablighi Jamaat charges show this legacy still curtails prosecutorial excesses.

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Supreme Court Orders Review

Supreme Court ordered a review of trial-judge allegations in the Lakhimpur Kheri case.
Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana required a sealed-cover report.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged the trial judge mishandled cases and granted bail improperly.
The Court instructed Uttar Pradesh to name a senior prosecutor within two weeks.
The bench noted procedural breach could cause miscarriage of justice and that the trial record lacks a site plan.

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