Allahabad HC Slams Inaction Against Corrupt Officials: Summons Mainpuri DM

Taking a stringent stance against systemic administrative apathy and deliberate foot-dragging, the Allahabad High Court has expressed grave displeasure over the persistent delay in initiating disciplinary action against corrupt revenue officials in Uttar Pradesh. Rebuking senior bureaucrats for shielding tainted subordinates, the court remarked that such an evasive attitude from state authorities "cannot be tolerated." A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra pulled up the administrative machinery for filing duplicate status reports without real progress, issuing direct summons for the personal appearance of Special Secretary (Revenue) Arun Prakash, Joint Secretary Dharmendra Kumar Pathak, and the District Magistrate of Mainpuri before the court on November 2, 2026.

PIL Alleges Administrative Shielding: Disciplinary Inaction Against Three Revenue Officers

The high court was adjudicating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Praveen Kumar, which highlighted serious corruption charges and the state machinery's failure to penalize the accused:

• Tainted Officers Named: The legal proceedings revolve around disciplinary inquiries initiated against three revenue officers—Prashun Kashyap, Rakesh Soni, and Anand Singh.

• Failure to Comply with July Directives: Following an explicit court order issued on July 16, 2026, directing authorities to expedite punitive proceedings, the Revenue Department submitted a status update on August 31, 2026.

• Perfunctory Bureaucratic Stance: In its August submission, the state merely stated that written clarifications had been sought from two officers with a final decision still pending, while a formal hearing had been conducted for only one officer, demonstrating a lack of tangible administrative action.

'In Cahoots with Corrupt Elements': Bench Slams Verbatim Copy-Paste Compliance Report

The division bench came down heavily on the state administration during Thursday’s hearing after discovering that the government's latest compliance affidavit was a verbatim reproduction of past filings:

• Carbon-Copy Status Report: During the hearing, state counsel presented an action-taken report dated September 30, 2026, which the bench noted was a mechanical, word-for-word copy of the previous submission made on August 31.

• Sharp Judicial Rebuke: Calling out the complete absence of progress, the bench observed that the officials tasked with issuing directives and ensuring compliance were discharging their responsibilities without due diligence.

• Suspected Collusion: The bench sternly remarked that the prolonged inaction and identical filings strongly suggested that supervising bureaucrats appeared to be in active collusion with the delinquent officers, shielding them from statutory departmental penalties.

Physical Appearance Ordered: Mainpuri DM and Top Revenue Bureaucrats to Face Court on Nov 2

To enforce institutional accountability, the bench discarded further written affidavits and demanded the personal presence of key decision-makers:

• Summons for Top Administrative Officials: Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra ordered District Magistrate Mainpuri, Special Secretary Arun Prakash, and Joint Secretary Dharmendra Kumar Pathak to remain personally present before the court on November 2, 2026.

• Accountability for Lapses: The summoned bureaucrats will be required to explain why departmental actions were stalled, why misleading duplicate reports were submitted to the judiciary, and what concrete punitive measures have been executed against the three errant officers.