Court
Allahabad High Court, Prayagraj
The Allahabad High Court, with its principal seat at Prayagraj and a bench at Lucknow, is the High Court for Uttar Pradesh. Matters arising in Bareilly district go to the principal seat at Prayagraj. This chamber appears there in bail applications, petitions to quash an FIR under Section 528 BNSS, criminal revisions and appeals, and writ petitions. There is no chamber at Prayagraj; the advocate travels for hearings.
Matters conducted at Prayagraj
- Petitions to quash an FIR or criminal proceedings under Section 528 BNSS (the former Section 482 CrPC)
- Bail applications under Section 483 BNSS, particularly where the Sessions Court has refused bail
- Anticipatory bail under Section 482 BNSS, where the Sessions Court has declined
- Criminal revisions and appeals against orders of the courts at Bareilly
- Writ petitions under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution, including against orders of the revenue and consolidation authorities
- Second appeals in civil matters under Section 100 CPC
Jurisdiction: Prayagraj, not Lucknow
The Allahabad High Court has two seats. The principal seat at Prayagraj exercises jurisdiction over most of Uttar Pradesh, including Bareilly, Rampur, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur and Budaun. The Lucknow Bench exercises jurisdiction over a specified group of districts in the Oudh region.
Matters arising from the district courts at Bareilly are therefore filed at Prayagraj. A matter filed at the wrong seat is returned, with the loss of time that entails.
A note on how this works in practice
There is no chamber at Prayagraj. Matters are prepared at the Bareilly chamber — where the papers and the trial-court record already are — and the advocate travels to Prayagraj for hearings. Keeping the district matter and the High Court petition in one chamber means the record, the instructions and the grounds stay consistent between them.
Cause lists, case status and orders are available on the High Court website.
Frequently asked questions
Do Bareilly cases go to Prayagraj or the Lucknow Bench?
Bareilly district falls within the jurisdiction of the principal seat of the Allahabad High Court at Prayagraj, not the Lucknow Bench. The Lucknow Bench exercises jurisdiction over a specified group of districts in the Oudh region, which does not include Bareilly. Filing at the wrong seat results in the matter being returned.
When should a matter be taken to the High Court rather than the district court?
The High Court is approached where the relief is one only it can grant — quashing an FIR or criminal proceedings under Section 528 BNSS, bail after the Sessions Court has refused it, a criminal revision or appeal against an order of the district court, or a writ petition under Article 226. It is not a substitute for the trial court, and approaching it prematurely usually results in relegation to the district court.
Can anticipatory bail be applied for directly in the High Court?
Section 482 BNSS gives concurrent jurisdiction to the Court of Session and the High Court. In practice the Sessions Court is ordinarily approached first, and the High Court expects an explanation where it has not been. Where the Sessions Court has rejected the application, the High Court may then be moved.
How long does a High Court matter take?
It varies widely. Bail applications are generally listed faster than quashing petitions, which are in turn faster than regular appeals. The Allahabad High Court carries one of the heaviest dockets in the country, and no timeline can be guaranteed. What can be controlled is the completeness of the paper book, since defective filings lose listing dates.