Supreme Court slams Allahabad HC over offender probation and stays CMRL probe

The Supreme Court has acted to enforce judicial discipline, stepping in to correct procedural errors in high court rulings and calling out unwarranted leniency towards convicted offenders. In a series of significant orders, the top court slammed the Allahabad High Court for releasing assault convicts on probation and paused a state police investigation into a corruption case involving former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Rebuking misplaced sympathy in criminal trials

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran set aside an Allahabad High Court order that let two men convicted of causing grievous hurt go free on probation. The trial court had initially sentenced the duo to five years in prison for a 2003 assault that left the victim with permanent loss of arm functionality. However, the high court released them on probation, citing the 22-year duration of the trial.

Rebuking the high court's reasoning, the bench noted that protracted trials cannot justify letting repeat offenders escape imprisonment, particularly when they continued to indulge in criminal activities while on bail. Terming the decision a case of misplaced sympathy, the top court ordered the accused to surrender immediately and directed the high court to conduct a fresh hearing.

Temporary stay in Kerala CMRL payoff probe

In a separate ruling, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana stayed for seven days the Kerala Police probe into an FIR registered against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T Veena, and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas. The FIR had been registered by the state's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau following a single-judge High Court order based on information shared by the Enforcement Directorate.

The top court set aside a high court division bench order that had denied the petitioners leave to appeal. Justice Bagchi emphasized that principles of natural justice require hearing affected parties before ordering an FIR, while clarifying that Enforcement Directorate communications under money laundering statutes do not act as an automatic mandate over state police domain. The court directed the division bench to hear the petitioners' appeals on merit.

Fast-tracking Odisha mining recoveries

Addressing stalled state revenue in Odisha, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu requested the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court to reconsider forming a dedicated bench for illegal mining cases. Interim stay orders obtained by mining leaseholders have held up the recovery of nearly ₹3,000 crore in public dues.

Odisha mining dues recovery status

Although the high court currently operates with only 15 judges against a sanctioned strength of 33, the top court highlighted the urgent public interest in resolving the pending writs promptly.

CBI takes over Punjab activist murder probe

Separately, accountability in law enforcement gained momentum in Punjab as a five-member Central Bureau of Investigation team arrived in Mansa to probe the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota. The agency registered a fresh FIR in Chandigarh after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed the transfer of the case following public outcry and a visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Jhota was shot dead on October 13 in Mansa after confronting local drug trade operations. State authorities handed over the case file to the central agency to ensure a thorough investigation into allegations connecting local illicit drug networks.