In a rare and candid courtroom moment, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a matter remanded by the Supreme Court of India, noting the pressure of time and an unusually heavy cause list.
The case, filed under Article 227 of the Constitution, was heard by Justice Subhash Vidyarthi at the Lucknow Bench. The matter had been specially listed under the category of “Hon’ble Supreme Court expedited matters.”
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Background of the Case
The petition, titled Chandralekha Singh vs. Canara Bank & Others, concerns proceedings involving Canara Bank and its regional office in Lucknow.
The Supreme Court, while remanding the matter on August 25, 2025, had requested the High Court to decide the petition as early as possible, preferably within six months. That six-month period expired on February 24, 2026 the very day the case came up for hearing.
Appearing for the petitioner was Senior Advocate Anuj Kudesia, assisted by Advocates Prabal Harsh and Abhishek Tiwari. Senior Advocate Sudeep Kumar, along with other counsel, represented the contesting private respondents, while Advocate Prashant Kumar Srivastava appeared for Canara Bank.
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Court’s Observation on Workload and Deadline
At the outset, the Court recorded that the matter was listed under the “Hon’ble Supreme Court expedited matters” category due to the earlier direction of the apex court.
Justice Vidyarthi pointed out that the six-month period granted by the Supreme Court was ending that day. However, the Bench also placed on record the heavy board before it. As per the order sheet, there were 92 fresh matters, 101 regular matters, 39 fresh miscellaneous applications, and three matters in the additional or unlisted lists.
Only fresh cases up to serial number 29 could be taken up during the regular court hours.
Despite this, the Court began hearing the present matter at 4:15 p.m., well after the usual hours, in view of the Supreme Court’s request. The hearing continued at length and concluded at 7:10 p.m.
In a strikingly personal note, the Court observed that after the extended session, “Since I am feeling hungry, tired and physically incapacitated to dictate the judgment, the judgment is reserved.”
The remark, recorded in the judicial order itself , reflected both the intensity of the day’s proceedings and the practical challenges of managing a packed docket alongside time-bound matters.
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The Decision
After concluding the hearing, the Bench reserved the judgment.
No interim directions were passed on Tuesday. The matter now awaits pronouncement of the final decision by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.
Case Title: Chandralekha Singh vs. Canara Bank & Others
Case No.: Matters Under Article 227 No. 3164 of 2025
Decision Date: February 24, 2026 (Judgment Reserved)
