Allahabad High Court warns bureaucrats on constitutional loyalty

The Allahabad High Court has issued a stern reminder to IAS and IPS officers regarding their professional obligations, stating that their loyalty must remain with the Constitution rather than the political executive. A Division Bench consisting of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Achal Sachdev warned that bureaucrats who ignore their constitutional oaths risk being viewed as an “oppressive vestige of the British Empire,” which could foster civil unrest and transform the state of Uttar Pradesh into an “Orwellian Dystopia.” The court noted that it may pass harsh orders to compensate citizens whose civil liberties are impinged upon by despotic bureaucratic conduct.

In a separate matter, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to expedite the decision regarding ex-IPS officer Amitabh Thakur’s challenge to his compulsory retirement. Thakur’s application has been pending since 2021. The court ordered the CAT to hear the parties and reach a final decision without granting unnecessary adjournments, though it clarified that it has not yet examined the merits of the case.