New Delhi: ‘Chilling effect on me’: Allahabad HC judge recuses from hearing bail pleas after SC observation
A Judge from the Allahabad High Court on Friday recused himself from hearing bail pleas, remarking that certain observations made by the Supreme Court in the dowry death case had “huge demoralising and chilling effect” on him.
The remarks were made by Pankaj Bhatia of the Lucknow bench while hearing a bail application of a murder accused. The High Court earlier granted a bail plea, but the Supreme Court on February 9 set aside the plea and called it a “shocking and disappointing” order, news agency PTI reported.
The High Court judge declined to hear the plea and also urged the Chief Justice to withdraw the bail roster from him. He also said that after reading the judgment of the Supreme Court, he feels that “ the bail order (granting bail) was apparently subject to interference.”
Judge Bhatia emphasised that the observations made by SC in paras 4 and 29, have had “a huge demoralising and chilling effect” on him.
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He further said that he does not deem it appropriate “to hear the present bail application.”
The Allahabad High Court judge made these remarks after the Supreme Court gave its February 9 decision in a case filed by Chetram Verma. In that case, Verma had challenged the bail order that Judge Bhatia had granted on October 10, 2025.
The high court had granted bail to a man accused in a dowry death case in which his wife died due to asphyxia caused by strangulation. The accused was reportedly in jail since July 27, 2025 and has no prior criminal history, factors which were noted in the bail order.
Following the High Court’s order, the Supreme Court set aside that bail order and, in paragraph 4, said, “The impugned order of October 10, 2025, is one of the most shocking and disappointing orders that we have come across over a period of time.”
The Supreme Court asked what reasons led the High Court to use its discretion to grant bail to the accused in such a serious case like dowry death.
“We fail to understand on plain reading of the impugned order as to what the High Court is trying to convey,” The Indian Express quoted the court as saying.
After quashing the bail order, the SC directed that a copy of its judgment be sent to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. This was done to check the manner in which the bail order had been passed.
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