Chief Justice Arun Bhansali of the Allahabad High Court, who is also the Chancellor of Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj, has stepped aside from hearing a law professor’s challenge to an order directing judicial officers to inquire into allegations of caste-based discrimination against him, with the appeal now set to be heard afresh by a different Bench.
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on September 29 directed that a special appeal filed by Dr. Deepak Sharma of Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University (RPNLU), Prayagraj, against a Single Judge’s order for an inquiry by judicial officers into allegations of caste-based humiliation at the university be listed before another Bench, of which Chief Justice Arun Bhansali is not a member [Dr. Deepak Sharma v. State of U.P. and 6 Others].
The order was passed by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra, which directed that the matter be placed before the new Bench on October 7, 2026, as a fresh case.
What the order says
The brief order, passed in Special Appeal Defective No. 694 of 2026, does not record reasons for the Chief Justice stepping aside. It reads:
“List before another Bench of which one of us (Arun Bhansali, CJ) is not a member, on 07.10.2026, as fresh.”
Chief Justice Bhansali is the Chancellor of RPNLU, the institution at the centre of the dispute.
Background of the case
The dispute began with a complaint filed on August 20 by a student of the university, alleging that Dr. Sharma, who heads its Department of Law, had used his academic and administrative position to humiliate and retaliate against the student on the basis of caste. The complaint alleged stricter evaluation of the student’s answer scripts and remarks on multiple occasions about the student’s caste and the reservation benefits he had availed.
A writ petition was then filed before the High Court by a PhD scholar together with the student, contending that no action had been taken on the complaint despite repeated reminders. Dr. Sharma was arrayed as respondent no. 6 in that petition. A Single Judge directed an inquiry into the allegations by judicial officers.
The appeal
In his intra-court appeal, Dr. Sharma has contended that an inquiry by judicial officers was not required and that the allegations ought to have been examined through the university’s own institutional mechanism, including its Equal Opportunity Cell. He has also sought a stay of the directions in paragraph 17 of the Single Judge’s order.
At an earlier hearing, the Division Bench had questioned the Single Judge’s direction for a judicial probe, stayed the proceedings before the Single Judge, and asked that the inquiry report, if already prepared, be placed before it in a sealed cover on September 29. It was on that date that the matter was directed to be listed before another Bench.
The allegations against Dr. Sharma remain untested, no finding has been returned on them, and the High Court has expressed no view on their merits. The appeal will now be heard afresh on October 7.
Case Title: Dr. Deepak Sharma v. State of U.P. and 6 Others
Case Number: Special Appeal Defective No. 694 of 2026
Bench: Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra, Allahabad High Court
Date of Order: September 29, 2026
Appearance: Senior Advocate Shashank Pandey for the appellant; Chief Standing Counsel, Gaurav Tripathi and Shivam Agarwal for the respondents