The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea by a former judicial officer seeking expeditious hearing of his pending petition before the Allahabad High Court, observing that all litigants have an equal right to access justice.
A bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the court could not grant priority to one litigant when others were also waiting for their cases to be heard.
“Whether a person is a bus conductor or a secretary of the state, everyone has an equal right to access justice,” the bench told the petitioner's counsel.
The former judicial officer has challenged his termination from service before the Allahabad High Court.
The Supreme Court initially asked him to approach the high court and seek an early hearing. However, his counsel submitted that the petition had not been taken up due to the high court's heavy caseload.
The bench said directing the high court to accord priority to the petitioner's case would be unfair to other litigants awaiting adjudication.
“In this space of constitutional equality, we will not create individualistic interventions,” it observed.
The court said the petitioner was at liberty to pursue the matter before the appropriate court.
(With inputs from PTI)
