Supreme Court Orders Inquiry into Allegation of Registry Misplacing Case Files

The Supreme Court of India has directed an internal inquiry into an allegation that its Registry misplaced a case file, causing delay in the registration of an urgent petition. The observation came on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, during proceedings before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana.

Advocate Shubhi Shivani Ahmed, appearing for a petitioner, informed the court that her client's special leave petition—an appeal against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order dated April 27, 2026, which had rejected an anticipatory bail plea—was filed on June 8 but had not been registered by the Registry. She stated that she had written to the concerned Registrar seeking an explanation but received no response.

Responding to the submission, Chief Justice Kant observed that the allegation could not be brushed aside and required thorough examination. “It is a very serious matter if the Registry has misplaced the file. If our Registry is misplacing files in urgent matters, do you think I will simply direct the matter to be listed? I must do something more. Please give me the details,” he said. The Chief Justice further stated that he wanted to look into the “inefficiency” and determine the reason behind it and who was responsible.

The bench asked Ms. Ahmed to have the advocate-on-record (AoR) who filed the petition lodge a formal complaint with the Chief Justice. “Ask your AoR to submit a complaint to me today. I am available. He or she may submit it in chambers or at my residence. Give me the case details,” the Chief Justice said.

This is not the first time Chief Justice Kant has expressed concern over the functioning of the Registry. In May 2026, he had sharply criticised the administrative wing, describing the conduct of some officials as “nasty” and remarking that a few appeared to consider themselves a “super Chief Justice of India.” Those remarks followed a query about how Registry officials had concluded that the bench had not issued notice in another matter.

In March 2026, the Chief Justice raised concerns after a public interest litigation (PIL) was listed for hearing more than a year after it was last taken up in February 2025. He sought a report from the Registrar on the delay. On earlier occasions, he has spoken of the need for “reforms” in the functioning of the Registry, observing that he would be failing in his duty if he did not undertake such reforms during his tenure. He has been quoted as saying that some officials believe they are permanent while judges are in a transit stage, and that they expect the Registry to function according to their wishes.

The Supreme Court Registry operates under Article 146 of the Constitution and is responsible for the administration of court records, listing of cases, and compliance with procedural requirements. It functions under the overall supervision of the Secretary General, who reports to the Chief Justice of India. The Registry comprises a hierarchy of officers, including registrars, additional registrars, deputy registrars, and branch officers.