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Calling the practice ‘disgusting and condemnable,’ the bench said it reflects a lack of basic civic sense and could lead to the spread of infections.
Allahabad HC | Representative Image
The Allahabad High Court has raised serious concerns about court staff and officials using saliva, often while chewing paan or paan masala, to turn the pages of case files. The court described the habit as “highly unhygienic,” pointing out that it leaves reddish stains on documents and poses a potential health risk to others handling the papers.
The observations came from a Lucknow bench of Justice Shree Prakash Singh, who passed an order on September 22 while hearing a petition filed by Krishna Vati and another litigant. During the hearing, the judge noticed visible red marks on the pages of a case file, believed to be saliva stains used for turning the sheets.
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Calling the practice “disgusting and condemnable,” the bench said it reflects a lack of basic civic sense and could lead to the spread of infections. The court noted that such marks are seen “every other day” in files prepared by clerks, registry staff, oath commissioners, or even by officials in government law offices.
To address the issue, Justice Singh issued a strict directive to the court registry and the offices of government advocates. He ordered that no file or document containing saliva stains should be accepted or processed by the court.
“This is a highly unhygienic situation which is not only disgusting and condemnable but at the same time it shows the lack of basic civil sense,” the court said. The bench further warned that if this “filthy practice” continues, it could cause harm to those who come into contact with such documents.
The court instructed the senior registrar and registry officials to carefully check all petitions, paper books, and applications before accepting them. Any file found with such marks must be immediately rejected.
Similar directions were issued to the government advocate’s office and the chief standing counsel’s office, requiring them to strictly enforce this rule among their staff.
The ruling aims to improve hygiene and maintain cleanliness in court proceedings while ensuring safer working conditions for everyone who handles legal documents.
(With PTI inputs)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
Allahabad, India, India
September 27, 2025, 21:36 IST
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