CJI Surya Kant vows registry reforms after dismissed plea relisted

New Delhi: Expressing shock after a petition dismissed by a three-judge bench was listed before another bench, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday vowed to initiate reforms in the Supreme Court registry.

Heading a three-judge bench, CJI Kant said he would order a deeper administrative probe and question Registry officials who "think they are permanent".

The issue arose during the resumed hearing of a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, on grounds of repugnancy with Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.


A separate petition by Siraj Ahmad Khan on similar provisions is pending before a division bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan. On Thursday, another plea by Irfan Solanki, raising comparable grounds, sought tagging with the matter before the Justice Pardiwala-led bench.

The state of Uttar Pradesh, however, pointed out that a comparable challenge had earlier been brought in a plea which was taken up by a three-judge Bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. By order dated December 12, 2022, the court had declined to entertain the petition under Article 32 and dismissed it, granting liberty to the aggrieved person to pursue remedies before the competent forum.

Justice Bagchi sought to know if the repugnancy argument would stand in the face of General Clauses Act.

CJI Kant took strong exception to a similar case landing before the chief's court even though a similar such plea was dismissed. Though the counsel for the petitioner sought to withdraw the plea CJI Kant insisted that the plea remain on board so that the matter can be taken to a logical end.