Allahabad HC Revives 1988 Episode Of SP 'Threatening' To Drag Judge To Police Station; Seeks His Whereabouts, Details On Action Taken

Taking a serious view of the 'damning' remarks recorded by the presiding officer in the decades-old judgment, a Bench of Justice JJ Munir and Justice Sanjiv Kumar has directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to file a personal affidavit disclosing the current status of the officer and the details of action taken against him.

The order was passed on last week while hearing the Criminal Appeal filed by the accused challenging his conviction.

Perusing the impugned judgment of conviction [delivered on April 30, 1988], by the then Sessions Judge of Lalitpur, LN Rai, the High Court's attention was drawn to paragraphs 190 and 191.

The Bench noted that these paragraphs contained "very serious remarks" against BK Bhola, the then Superintendent of Police, Lalitpur.

Quoting from the judgment, the High Court observed thus:

"The remarks go to the extent that B.K. Bhola, Superintendent of Police, Lalitpur had the audacity and dare to threaten the learned Trial Judge of dragging him to the police station if he summoned certain records from the Police, certain wireless messages, or compelled the S.P. to appear as a defense witness."

The Court noted that while the Trial Judge had recommended departmental action against the officer at the time, he was "kind in not making a reference to this Court for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings".

Reopening the issue after nearly four decades, the High Court remarked that the conduct of the SP could not be ignored simply due to the passage of time.

The Bench observed that the District Superintendent of Police was found by the Sessions Judge to have "behaved like a goon and threatened the learned Trial Judge".

Noting uncertainty regarding the officer's current state, the bench remarked thus:

"We do not know if B.K. Bhola, who, in all probability, would have retired by now, lives in this mortal world or not."

Consequently, the Court has issued strict directions to the DGP, Uttar Pradesh, to file an affidavit by December 9, 2025, covering the following points:

• Whether B.K. Bhola is "still around or not”.
• Whether he is still in service or receiving a pension.
• If alive, his complete particulars, residential address and police station.

Crucially, the DGP has also been directed to inform the bench as to what “action was taken against B.K. Bhola on the basis of the directions of the learned Trial Judge" contained in the 1988 judgment.

The Court also observed that while there are names of certain other officials also in the Judgment, but they are 'sundry' officers.

"…and it would be another day's matter to inquire into their conduct, since the District Superintendent of Police was found by the learned Sessions Judge to have behaved like a goon and threatened the learned Trial Judge", the bench remarked.

The matter will now come up for a hearing on December 9.