Bhagalpur, Bihar: A wave of concern has swept through the judiciary after a district magistrate (DM) sent a letter containing disrespectful remarks to a judge of the sessions court. The incident has sparked a significant uproar, highlighting the delicate balance between the judiciary and the executive branches.
The controversy began over a case related to the Arms Act, filed at the Kotwali police station on December 10, 2011. The judge, Vishwa Vibhuti Gupta, initially requested the public prosecutor to provide the sanction order from the DM, essential for the case’s progression. Subsequent communications were sent to both the police station head and the SSP to secure the order, but to no avail.
In response to the lack of action, Judge Gupta sent a letter to the DM on March 4, 2024, expressing concern over the prosecution’s negligence and reminding of a previous correspondence dated February 14, 2023. The letter emphasized the necessity of the DM’s clarification to proceed with the case and meet the requirements set by the High Court of Patna.
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The DM’s response, penned by Dr. Naval Kishore Choudhary, was unexpected and took an offensive tone. While acknowledging that a sanction order had been issued on April 19, 2012, by a predecessor and forwarded to the SSP, the DM criticized the judge’s request for clarification as inappropriate. The letter stressed that such communications should not be sent in the future as they could harm the relationship between the judiciary and the executive. The DM suggested that any further correspondence should be routed through the district prosecution officer, Bhagalpur, in accordance with the High Court’s directives.
Adding to the controversy, the DM attached a copy of the 2012 sanction order with the letter, which was then annexed to the case file by Judge Gupta.
