It has to be said most forthrightly without mincing any words whatsoever that, “West UP not having even a single High Court Bench not even a Circuit Bench is nothing but a serious anomaly in the administration of justice that has been perpetrated since last 80 years of independence and Centre appears in no mood till date to weed out what I have just pointed out which I find most astounding indeed”. I just fail to comprehend that what logic does it make that West UP which owes for majority of pending cases of Allahabad High Court with maximum districts among all the regions of Uttar Pradesh – 30 and which contributes maximum to the State economy and the reward the litigants of West UP have got is that they have to travel not only till Lucknow where a High Court Bench permanent seat was created way back in July 1948 so close to Allahabad High Court most horribly and as if this was not enough Centre ensured that the litigants of 30 districts of West UP and hilly areas of undivided UP were attached with not even Lucknow but right uptill Allahabad subjecting litigants to an unreasonable and disproportionate burden just like litigants of hilly areas of undivided UP who had to travel thousands of kilometers all the way till not even Lucknow but right uptill Allahabad which is even more dreadful and which led to huge agitations and when many people sacrificed their precious lives then what it culminated was that same Centre which was not ready to create even a single High Court Circuit Bench for them then ensured partition of Uttar Pradesh into Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and separate High Court at Nainital and separate Capital at Dehradun and no Punjab and Haryana formula of same High Court and same capital for just 88 lakh people! Nothing can be more unfortunate than this!

The simple point being made here is that it is Centre  which in a manner that has attracted serious criticism has been acting as the biggest stumbling block for creation of High Court Bench in West UP on one pretext or the other which has only served to portray it in poor light just like being the biggest litigator has hugely denigrated its reputation that cannot be swept beneath the carpet any longer now. How long will the Centre has repeatedly failed to resolve and keep deferring the most compelling and most legitimate demand for a High Court Bench in West UP on one pretext or the other? Centre’s decision to deprive West UP from having even a single High Court Bench not even a Circuit Bench is bereft of any logic and so the blame lies squarely on shoulders of Centre. For the exclusive benefit and indulgence of my esteemed readers, let me now lay bare that For the purposes of regional and economic classification, Uttar Pradesh is commonly divided into four broad regions—Paschimanchal, Madhyanchal, Bundelkhand and Purvanchal. They are as follows:-

Western Division (Paschimanchal – 30 districts) – Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Rampur, Budaun, Mathura, Etah, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Firozabad, Agra, Mainpuri, Baghpat, Meerut, Amroha, Moradabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Hathras, Aligarh, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Auraiya, Etawah, Kasganj, Hapur, Sambhal and Shamli.

Central Division (Madhyanchal – 10 districts) – Lakhimpur Kheri, Hardoi, Sitapur, Barabanki, Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar and Fatehpur.

Bundelkhand Division (7 districts) – Mahoba, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Banda, Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur.

Eastern Division (Purvanchal – 28 districts) – Ambedkar Nagar, Ayodhya, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Mau, Azamgarh, Ballia, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Balrampur, Gonda, Chandauli, Shravasti, Bahraich, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sultanpur, Ghazipur, Pratapgarh and Amethi.

(Source: Sam Samayik Ghatna Chakra Uttar Pradesh At A Glance 2026 on page 81 published from Allahabad)

Of course, what is going on in India since last about 80 years in distribution of High Courts and High Court Benches and High Court Circuit Benches in different States and different regions does not represent by any reckoning a true democratic system rather it symbolizes a deeply concerning failure of democratic and judicial administration of the highest order an extreme instance of institutional inaction without being held accountable in any manner as we saw when hilly areas of undivided UP for whom Justice Jaswant Singh Commission headed by former Supreme Court Judge appointed by Centre itself had recommended two High Court Circuit Benches in Dehradun and Nainital in early 1980s yet not one created and when people agitated with many sacrificing their invaluable lives then the same Centre bestowed not just separate Statehood itself but separate High Court and separate Capital also and no Punjab and Haryana formula of same High Court and same Capital! Does Centre want this to happen in West UP also as Justice Jaswant Singh Commission recommended permanent seat of High Court Bench in West UP yet not even a single High Court Circuit Bench created even though on its recommendations High Court Benches were created in other States like Maharashtra at Aurangabad which already had multiple High Court Benches?

Why Supreme Court kept a deafening silence on non implementation of Justice Jaswant Singh Commission report in UP for which maximum three High Court Benches were recommended yet not even a single created while it was implemented promptly in Maharashtra which already had multiple High Court Benches and so also in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu? Even Mayawati herself as Chief Minister had recommended creation of West UP as separate State to be named “Harit Pradesh” just like DR BR Ambedkar and many other Chief Minister like Sampoornanand way back in 1955 had recommended for High Court Bench in Meerut which is all on record but Centre acted as the biggest stumbling block!

Why is Centre so hell bent in denying West UP even a single Bench not even a Circuit Bench is absolutely just most baffling?  It is as clear as broad daylight that West UP has maximum districts – 30, owes for majority of pending cases of Allahabad High Court and contributes maximum to State’s economy with more than 10 crore people yet the people residing in West UP have been most unfairly deprived from having even a single High Court Bench not even a Circuit Bench!  The point being made here is that the Centre’s continued inaction has emerged as a significant obstacle to the creation of a High Court Bench in Western Uttar Pradesh. Despite the long-standing demand and repeated representations in this regard, the issue has remained unresolved for years, which has inevitably led to serious criticism of the Centre’s approach. It is also a matter of public record that the Union Government is one of the largest litigants in the country, making its approach towards improving access to justice particularly significant.

Going by Centre’s niggardly approach, it is not only hard but also virtually impossible to decipher when Centre will swing into action and address this long lingering issue of High Court Bench in West UP at the earliest. Centre has put itself in a most questionable position by not taking any initiative worth its salt to address this needlessly long lingering issue which is an “open and shut” case!  It is definitely most appalling and most ashaming to note that since last more than 80 years of independence, we have seen that the buck of decision making on creation of a High Court Bench in West UP with more than 10 or 11 crore people and 30 districts  has sought to be constantly shifted from one goalpost to another!

Even former eminent Supreme Court Judge – Justice (Retd) Markandey Katju who has been Chief Justice of different High Courts including Allahabad High Court has fully reiterated his open support to the most legitimate demand for a High Court Bench in West UP which is most refreshing to note!  It has definitely warmed the innermost cockles of my heart and mind to read that one of the most eminent former Supreme Court Judge Hon’ble Mr Justice Markandey Katju who has himself practiced in Allahabad High Court from 1970 to 1991 with specialization in Taxation, Labour Laws and Writ Petition and is one of the most distinguished jurists that India has ever produced known all across the globe and was also appointed Acting Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court in August 2004 and so also was Chief Justice of Madras High Court in November 2004 and also of Delhi High Court in October 2005 has in a eye-opener blog titled: “The Demand For A Western Bench Of Allahabad HC Is Justified” published on September 24, 2025 in website named “Medium” written most elegantly that, “While I do not approve of blocking roads, I believe that the demand for a bench of the Allahabad High Court in western Uttar Pradesh is fully justified.

The reason is simple: litigants of western UP face a huge financial and logistical burden when they are compelled to travel all the way to Allahabad, which is in eastern UP. The Justice Jaswant Singh Committee, after studying the matter in great detail, came to the same conclusion. There are several benches of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Bombay High Court. Similarly, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, which was created in July 2004 when I was Chief Justice of that court, was established for the very same reason: litigants in southern Tamil Nadu found it prohibitively expensive and inconvenient to travel to Chennai in the north. On exactly the same logic, there is no reason why western UP should be denied a bench of the Allahabad High Court.” Even the incumbent CJI Hon’ble Mr Surya Kant has himself conceded on more than one occasion even when he was not CJI that the demand for High Court Bench in West UP is most deserving and most compelling! But when will it translate into reality? This is the moot question!

Let’s face it: Centre and State’s niggardly actions in this regard just does not inspire any confidence at all and this cannot continue in perpetuity! On discrimination of distribution of High Court Benches in different States and different regions, the less said the better because the Centre's approach in this regard has been deeply concerning in this context to resort to open partiality as we can see for ourselves and States like Bihar, which also does not presently have a permanent High Court Bench outside Patna has not even a single High Court Bench not even a Circuit Bench just like Orissa and West UP among others without any valid reason! The topmost question that stares us in our face is: This raises a fundamental question concerning equitable access to justice. It is utterly disgusting indeed to watch all this without facing any intervention from Allahabad High Court or even from Supreme Court since 80 years!

Most bone chillingly, even the Supreme Court in last 80 years of independence has never dared to take suo motu cognizance of it and even the press which is considered the fourth pillar of Indian democracy including newspapers and news channels also maintains a conspicuous inexplicable deafening silence on it and hardly ever accords any prime coverage to it! The most troubling question that crops up here is: Why is Centre just not willing and ready to address it? Centre must stop dishing lame excuses and address it like it did last year in Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra for just 6 districts and now in Ladakh for just 7 districts which till March 2026 had just 2 districts!

At the crux of the problem is most stubborn approach of Centre and State Government in refusing to relent and acknowledge the clear writing on the wall! Why Centre has no empathy with humongous problems faced by litigants of West UP due to no Bench here? One cannot conjecture correct cause that why Centre crops up flimsy and fake excuses to deny West UP even a single Bench?

It merits absolutely just no reiteration that speedy and affordable justice at doorsteps is the cornerstone of democratic system which definitely cannot be allowed to be strangulated by depriving litigants of West UP from having even a single Bench! It is time for Apex Court to take note of the big picture and act decisively to ensure that a High Court Bench is created in West UP at the earliest and the huge sufferings – physical, mental and financial faced by the litigants of West UP is not prolonged any longer now! No doubt, the earlier this is done, the better it shall be!

All told, it must be gracefully acknowledged that UP indubitably deserves maximum High Court Benches as According to Government of India data, the Allahabad High Court had 12,07,325 pending cases as on 10 February 2026, the highest pendency among the High Courts reflected in the Government's data but most unfortunately it has not even multiple High Court Benches since last 80 years of independence and has most starkly just one High Court Bench which is undoubtedly a matter of serious national concern just like Bihar, which also does not presently have a permanent High Court Bench outside Patna not having even a single Circuit Bench and Maharashtra which has more than half less population than UP and less pending cases than even West UP what to talk about UP and still has maximum five High Court Benches with latest created at Kolhapur for just 6 districts! How can any person in his/her right senses ever try to justify it most without sufficient justification on one pretext or the other when five elite States – Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Karnataka with less pending cases than even West UP and far less population than even West UP have multiple High Court Benches? Karnataka High Court has still recently set up a high powered Committee to look for setting up of more High Court Benches on September 29, 2026 which is all on record! PM Narendra Modi has congratulated recently that Indian economy is growing at 7.8 percent still why Uttar Pradesh has continued to remain deprived from having even a single Bench after the one  created long ago in July 1948 at Lucknow when our economic condition was in doldrums and that’s all? This is terrible rather most atrocious which has to be most strongly condemned! 

This article is authored by Advocate Sanjeev Sirohi, who has expressed his views on the long-standing demand for a separate High Court Bench in Western Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the difficulties faced by litigants from the region and raising questions regarding equitable access to justice, judicial infrastructure and the continued absence of even a Circuit Bench in West UP.

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