The Madhya Pradesh High Court has designated four Special fast-track courts across the state to curb organised examination fraud, maintain the sanctity of competitive tests, and ensure speedy disposal of cases involving unfair means.
Issued under the administrative leadership of Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia, the official notification invoking powers conferred under Section 8(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaces Section 9(3) of the former Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, establishes designated forums to exclusively adjudicate summary and sessions-level offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, also known as the Lok Pariksha (Anuchit Sadhano Ka Nivaran) Adhiniyam, 2024.
These courts are concurrently empowered to try connected substantive offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with ancillary matters referred by central or state investigating agencies, with the High Court further conferring the powers of a Judicial Magistrate First Class upon the presiding officers to ensure comprehensive original jurisdiction.
The judicial officers designated to head these specialised tribunals include Praveen Patel, Eighteenth District and Additional Sessions Judge in Bhopal; Vishal Akhand, Eighth District and Additional Sessions Judge in Gwalior; Anand Kumar Sehlam, Twenty-Seventh District and Additional Sessions Judge in Jabalpur; and Dr. Shubhra Singh, Twenty-Sixth District and Additional Sessions Judge in Indore.
To achieve effective judicial administration, the High Court has demarcated the territorial jurisdictions across state regions without altering the permanent court headquarters. Under this allocation, the Bhopal court exercises territorial jurisdiction over Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Narmadapuram, Harda, Rajgarh, and Vidisha districts. The Gwalior forum covers Gwalior, Tikamgarh, Sheopur, Bhind, Morena, Guna, Shivpuri, Datia, and Ashoknagar.
The Jabalpur tribunal holds wide jurisdictional coverage over Jabalpur, Chhatarpur, Narsinghpur, Damoh, Seoni, Satna, Panna, Shahdol, Katni, Anuppur, Mandla, Sagar, Chhindwara, Rewa, Sidhi, Balaghat, Dindori, Umaria, and Singrauli districts. Meanwhile, the Indore court oversees Indore, Dhar, Ratlam, Jhabua, Mandsaur, West Nimar, Ujjain, Dewas, Shajapur, Agar-Malwa, East Nimar, Neemuch, Barwani, Alirajpur, and Burhanpur.
To ensure swift deterrence against organized syndicates involved in leaks and malpractices, the High Court has issued procedural directives to the respective Principal District and Sessions Judges, mandating that these specialized benches make every effort to conclude trials and deliver final judgments within a strict timeframe of three months from the date of charge sheet filing by law enforcement or investigative bodies.
This systemic judicial setup aligns with wider executive and statutory initiatives following assurances from the Union Government, public statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding fast-tracking employment and education-related litigations, and recent announcements by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav.
The structural reform comes amidst widespread public debate, student demonstrations, and heightened judicial scrutiny concerning public examination irregularities, including high-profile controversies such as the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test paper leak matters, where courts have underscored that systemic leakages severely erode the meritocratic trust of honest candidates and harm public interest.
The post Madhya Pradesh High Court establishes four special fast-track courts for paper leak cases appeared first on India Legal.