Supreme Court: Stating that the High Courts cannot encroach upon the fields that are under the exclusive domain of legislature, the Court said that there cannot be general comments on the investigation or for that matter, issuance of host of directions for constituting separate specialized cadre managed by officials or to require an affidavit to be filed whether sanctioned strength of police is adequate or not to maintain law and order or involvement of judicial officers or directions in the like manner.
In the present case, a writ of mandamous commanding the competent authorities to take necessary action against the respondent was filed before the Allahabad High Court in relation to alleged fraud in opening bank account by forging signature for obtaining retail licence for liquor shop for which eligibility conditions is that licensee and his family members must possess good moral character and have no criminal background, the High Court had adverted to the methods of investigation and expressed the view that no attempt was made by the investigating officer to find out the genuineness of signature from the hand-writing expert and had further observed that it depicts a very sorry state of affairs of maintenance of law and order in the State and paints a grim picture in which State is functioning, ignoring one of the most important aspects of administration, i.e., public safety, security and maintenance of law and order.
The bench of Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy, JJ noted that the High Court has crossed the boundaries of the controversy that was before it. The courts are required to exercise the power of judicial review regard being had to the controversy before it. There may be a laudable object in the mind but it must flow from the facts before it or there has to be a specific litigation before it. It was further explained that a Judge should not perceive a situation in a generalised manner. He ought not to wear a pair of spectacles so that he can see what he intends to see. There has to be a set of facts to express an opinion and that too, within the parameters of law. A court cannot take steps for framing a policy.
Hence, it was held that the directions issued by the High Court and the queries made by it related to various spheres which, we are constrained to think, the High Court should not have gone into. It had a very limited lis before it. The directions may definitely show some anxiety on the part of the learned Judges, but it is to be remembered that directions are not issued solely out of concern. They have to be founded on certain legally justifiable principles that have roots in the laws of the country. [State of Uttar Pradesh v. Subhash Chandra Jaiswal, 2016 SCC OnLine SC 1434, decided on 29.11.2016]
