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Today's oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected office-bearers of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) for 2026–27 witnessed the absence of Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Arun Bhansali.

Both of them were earlier scheduled to attend the event as the Chief Guest and Special Guest, respectively. However, the reason for their absence from the ceremony could not be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the Chief Returning Officer and members of the Election Committee have also boycotted the ceremony.

Earlier today, the Chief Returning Officer, Senior Advocate S.F.A. Naqvi, and the Returning Officers who oversaw the HCBA elections formally conveyed that they won't be attending the ceremony.

They said that their presence would be neither 'proper' nor 'desirable' in the prevailing circumstances.

The decision was communicated through a letter addressed to newly elected HCBA President Dr. C.P. Upadhyay, General Secretary Santosh Kumar Mishra and Chairman of the Elders Committee V.K. Singh.

The letter has been signed by Naqvi and the other members of the Election Committee, including Advocates Vashistha Tiwari, J.B. Singh, Lakshmi Kant Mishra, Raj Kumar Shukla and Anubhav Shukla.

The decision of the Committee to boycott the event comes amid ongoing tensions between sections of the Bar and the Bench, as well as differences concerning the functioning and authority of the Association's election-related bodies.

However, the Election Committee has cited a specific administrative and financial dispute as the reason for its decision to stay away from the ceremony.

In a separate communication dated November 3, the Chief Returning Officer and the Returning Officers have raised strong objections to a letter written by the newly elected body (on November 2) addressed to the Branch Manager of the State Bank of India, High Court Branch, Allahabad.

The communication had sought suspension of operations in the dedicated Election Fund Account, which, according to the Election Committee, was being lawfully operated under the joint signatures of the Chief Election Officer and the Election Officers.

Describing the said communication as "unauthorised, premature and defamatory", the Election Committee has stated that the newly declared/elected body had not yet taken over or officially assumed charge of the High Court Bar Association.

The letter adds that until a formal handing over and taking over of charge in accordance with the HCBA Rules, there was "no recognised executive body entitled to represent or act on behalf of the Association".

The Election Committee has further objected to what it described as the "issuance of a formal directive on the official letterhead" of the Association, claiming that the newly elected President and General Secretary had no authority at that stage to interfere with bank mandates or institutional accounts.

The letter also questioned the authority of the Elders Committee to intervene in the matter.

Referring to Rule 8(g) of the HCBA Rules, the Election Committee stated that the Elders Committee's term, which commenced on September 16, 2026, for a defined period of one month, had expired on October 15, 2026.

It consequently claimed that the Elders Committee was functus officio and "no longer exists in the eyes of law". It further asserted that, even during its subsistence, the Committee had no mandate or jurisdiction to interfere in banking operations or policy decisions.

The Election Committee also rejected allegations concerning alleged improper payments, describing them as "baseless, unsubstantiated and reckless". It maintained that the electoral process had been conducted strictly within prescribed procedural norms and with fiscal prudence.

Questioning the procedure adopted before writing to the bank, the Election Committee alleged that the communication had been issued without verifying the relevant records of bank transactions and payments made to contractors or suppliers.

The Election Committee has also called upon the newly elected office-bearers to immediately recall and withdraw the November 2 communication addressed to the bank.

It also asked them to desist from interfering in the administrative and financial affairs of the Election Committee until they formally assumed charge in accordance with the law and HCBA Rules.

The letter further warns of legal action as it states that appropriate civil and criminal proceedings, including actions for defamation and interference with official duties, would be initiated if the objections were not addressed.

The Election Committee has, however, extended its "heartfelt wishes and congratulations" to all newly elected office-bearers and members of the Executive Committee.

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