The Supreme Court has again dismissed the civil judge who read judgment in the court without preparing the complete decision. A Division bench of the Karnataka High Court overruled its own administrative decision and reinstated the judge. But the Registrar General of Karnataka challenged that decision in the Supreme Court of the High Court. After looking into the matter, the Supreme Court accepted that the arguments given by M Narasimha Prasad, who was a civil judge, in his defense are not acceptable.

A bench of Justice V Subramaniam and Justice Pankaj Mittal of the Supreme Court said that the civil judge had said in his defense that his steno did not know the work properly nor was he interested in the work, hence all this blunder took place. Reprimanding the civil judge, the Supreme Court said that this argument is very childish. He does not think that the civil judge should have said such a thing in defence.

The bench said that the judicial officer cannot pronounce the important part of the judgment in the open court without preparing the entire judgment. It does not fit the definition of law. The Supreme Court had said that it is absolutely wrong to give a clean chit to the judge by initiating departmental proceedings against Steno. The bench made a bitter comment and said that the Division bench of the Karnataka High Court acquitted the delinquent without paying attention to the important aspects in such a serious case. The Supreme Court said that what the civil judge did was a blot on the judicial process, but the High Court dismissed the entire case.

According to the case, the judge was suspended in 2005. Many allegations leveled against him were proved true in the investigation. After the second notice, the full bench of the High Court dismissed the judge. In 2009, the Governor also approved the decision.

The delinquent judge challenged the dismissal decision based on the inquiry report. But the single judge bench upheld the decision. The accused also challenged this decision. This appeal was filed in 2011. The Division bench overruled the single judge's decision to hear the case and reinstated the judge.

Case Details:-

C.A. No.-002519-002522 / 2023

THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA & ANR.
VERSUS
SRI M. NARASIMHA PRASAD

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