Refusing to hear criminal petitions during summer vacation: SC issues notice to TS HC

New Delhi: Supreme Court issued a notice to Telangana High Court Registrar General after it was highlighted that it has decided, on the administrative side, not to hear writ petitions or criminal petitions to quash first information reports (FIR) or charge sheets during summer vacation.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking to quash FIR No.59 of 2022 registered with Police Station Town-I, Nizamabad.

Senior Counsel V Chitambaresh, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the High Court had published a notice on April 30 under the caption "Instructions as to the filing of cases to be heard during Summer Vacation Court on May 5", the petitioner submitted that the petitioners can not go before the Vacation Bench of the High Court and as such, the instant petition under Article 32 of the Constitution is the only appropriate remedy available to him.

The bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat, and Sudhanshu Dhulia impleaded the High Court Registrar General as one of the parties to the case and sought his response.

The Supreme Court issued notice to the Registrar General of the High Court.

"At the oral request of the learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners, the Registrar General of the High Court is added as one of the parties to the petition. At this stage we issue notice only to the Registrar General of the High Court, returnable on May 20, 2022," the order said.