There is a complete breakdown of rule of law in Uttar Pradesh Says CJI Sanjeev Khanna ; No Press Conference By Sambit Patra

The Supreme Court said there was a “complete breakdown of rule of law in Uttar Pradesh” after coming across FIRs filed by the state police in civil cases.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan asked the director general of police and the station house officer of a Gautam Budh Nagar district police station to file affidavits, explaining why the criminal law was set in motion in a civil dispute.

“There is a complete breakdown of rule of law in Uttar Pradesh. Converting a civil matter into a criminal case is not acceptable,” the CJI said.

The bench was irked after a lawyer said the FIR was filed as civil disputes take a long time to settle.

“This is wrong what is happening in UP. Everyday civil suits are being converted to criminal cases. It is absurd, merely not giving money cannot be turned into an offence,” the CJI said.

“We will direct the IO (investigating officer) to come to the witness box. Let the IO stand in the witness box and make out a criminal case…this is not the way you file chargesheets,” the CJI said, “let the IO learn a lesson”.

The bench further asked, “Just because civil cases take long, you will file an FIR and set the criminal law in motion?” The IO of the police station concerned at Sector-39 in Noida was directed by the top court to appear in the witness box in the trial court and justify the registration of the FIR in the case.

The bench was hearing a plea of the accused Debu Singh and Deepak Singh, filed through lawyer Chand Qureshi, against the Allahabad High Court refusing to quash the criminal case against them.

The top court stayed the criminal proceedings against the petitioners in a Noida trial court, but said the cheque bounce case against them would continue.

An FIR was filed against the duo in Noida under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

Reacting to the Supreme Court Observation, Shiv Sena ( UBT) MP, Rajya Sabha, Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted on X

Interestingly viewers, BJP MP  Sambit Patra( who is in- charge of ethnic strife torn state Manipur)  was very quick to address press conference at BJP Office soon after the SC ruling on Teachers Recruitment  in West Bengal was out . Patra even went on to demand   resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

However,  the  SC  comment on Uttar Pradesh Law and order no press conference by or by outspoken BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya .  Their silence  was echoed by Godi media anchors on super prime time. No viewers , there was not Hard Facts nor there was nation’s sharpest opinion. All have conveniently pressed the mute button .