PRAYAGRAJ: Terming it a “black day in the history of the court”, Justice Krishan Pahal of the Allahabad high court recused himself from hearing a bunch of bail applications after litigants allegedly attempted to approach the judge while the matter was pending before him.The court was hearing several bail pleas, including that of Bhola Prasad, father of absconding kingpin Shubham Jaiswal, the alleged mastermind of a multi-crore codeine syrup syndicate.Bhola was arrested at Kolkata airport on Nov 29, 2025, while allegedly trying to board a flight to Thailand. He was brought to Sonbhadra on transit remand on Dec 2 and has remained in jail since then.In an order dated July 30, Justice Pahal said: “This court records with profound anguish and an abiding sense of institutional responsibility that the present episode marks a black day in the history of this court. The very edifice of the judicial institution rests upon the unwavering confidence of the public that justice is administered impartially, fearlessly and without any extraneous influence.”HC observed that “the sanctity of judicial proceedings does not merely require that justice be done; it demands that justice must manifestly and unquestionably appear to have been done”.Expressing concern over attempts to establish contact with the court during the pendency of the matter, Justice Pahal noted: “Any attempt by a litigant or counsel to establish an extra-judicial channel of communication with a judge in relation to a pending matter is wholly incompatible with the ethics governing the legal profession and the constitutional values underpinning an independent judiciary.”The order added that “any attempt, howsoever subtle or clandestine, to interfere with or influence the judicial decision-making process constitutes a direct assault upon the majesty of the rule of law”. According to the order, after the matters were fixed for hearing on July 30, efforts were allegedly made by litigants to gain access to and approach the presiding judge.To preserve the integrity of the judicial process and dispel any apprehension regarding the impartiality of the proceedings, the court decided to recuse itself from the cases. Justice Pahal directed that the matters be released from his board and placed before the Chief Justice for assignment to an appropriate bench.Meanwhile, investigators have intensified efforts to extradite Shubham Jaiswal as the probe into the alleged codeine syrup racket gathers pace. Chargesheets have been filed, arrests made and properties suspected to be linked to the syndicate attached or seized.Sources in the Enforcement Directorate alleged that Shubham generated nearly Rs 800 crore through the illegal sale of narcotic-laced cough syrup to traffickers operating in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Investigators claimed that, through his firm Shaili Traders, he supplied around 2.24 crore bottles of cough syrup, allegedly sold at approximately Rs 500 per bottle.According to investigators, nearly Rs 312 crore was paid to Abbott Pharmaceuticals for procurement of the syrup, with the funds allegedly routed through associates and other persons connected to the network. The allegations are under investigation.
