Tripura HC directed the state government to urgently appoint additional public prosecutors, citing severe workload pressure on the lone Public Prosecutor. The court warned it may proceed with hearings without government representation if immediate arrangements are not made before the next hearing.
The Tripura High Court has directed the state government to urgently appoint additional public prosecutors for the High Court, expressing serious concern over the growing burden on the lone Public Prosecutor who has been handling all assigned matters single-handedly for several months.
The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Justice T Amarnath Goud and Justice S Datta Purkayastha during the hearing of a matter on Wednesday. The bench observed that the current arrangement was creating difficulties in the smooth functioning of court proceedings as the Public Prosecutor was unable to attend multiple matters scheduled simultaneously in different courts.
According to the court order, when the matter was taken up on Tuesday, the Public Prosecutor was absent and advocate K Pandey appeared before the bench on his behalf. The advocate informed the court that the Public Prosecutor was engaged in another court at the same time. A similar situation occurred again on Wednesday when the case was called for hearing.
Expressing concern over the repeated absence caused by scheduling conflicts, the bench noted that for several months the Public Prosecutor had been appearing alone before different courts and was not in a position to effectively represent the government in every matter listed before the High Court.
The judges observed that the situation had reached a stage where immediate intervention from the government had become necessary. The court stated that the administration should take prompt steps to ensure sufficient additional public prosecutors are appointed to assist Public Prosecutor Raju Datta in conducting matters before the High Court.
In its order, the bench directed the Chief Secretary of the Government of Tripura to immediately examine the issue and coordinate with the concerned authorities for making suitable arrangements without further delay.
“The Chief Secretary, Government of Tripura, is directed to look into the matter and take up the issue immediately with the concerned authority so as to make immediate arrangements for the engagement of Additional PP to represent in the High Court,” the court stated in its order.
The High Court also issued a warning to the state government, stating that if no proper arrangement is made by the next date of hearing, the court may proceed with hearing and disposal of matters even in the absence of the Public Prosecutor.
The bench remarked that continued delays in appointing additional prosecutors could affect the effective conduct of government cases before the High Court. The court clearly indicated that it would not allow judicial proceedings to suffer because of administrative inaction.
“In the event, if the government fails to make any suitable arrangement on the next date, this court shall have no hesitation but to hear and decide the matter in the absence of the learned Public Prosecutor,” the order further stated.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on May 19. The court also instructed that copies of the order be immediately furnished to the Chief Secretary of Tripura and the Public Prosecutor of the High Court.
Available information suggests that two additional public prosecutors had earlier assisted the Public Prosecutor in handling High Court matters. However, one of them reportedly secured another government position, while the second additional public prosecutor was removed in February this year.
Since February, the Public Prosecutor has reportedly been managing all assigned cases alone. Legal sources indicated that on several occasions, multiple matters were listed simultaneously before different benches, making it practically impossible for a single prosecutor to attend every proceeding at the same time.
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The High Court’s latest observation has now brought attention to the increasing pressure on government legal representation and the need for adequate prosecutorial support in ensuring smooth judicial functioning in Tripura’s highest court.
