Advocate Suman Kumai, Legal Correspondent, Patna, 28th July 2026: Under the leadership of Acting Chief Justice Sudhir Singh, the Hon’ble Patna High Court has taken a significant step towards strengthening the integrity of the public examination system by resolving to designate three Special Courts (Fast Track Special Courts) at Patna, Lakhisarai, and Purnea for the trial of offences under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The newly designated courts will function at the level of District & Additional Sessions Judge and will exclusively hear cases relating to offences under the 2024 Act, which aims to curb organised cheating, question paper leaks, impersonation, and other examination-related malpractices.
To ensure expeditious disposal of such cases, the High Court has directed that the Special Courts conduct hearings on a day-to-day basis and conclude the trial and pronounce judgment within three months from the filing of the charge sheet. The move is expected to strengthen the implementation of the Act and enhance public confidence in the fairness and transparency of public examinations.
The High Court has nominated the following judicial officers as Presiding Officers of the Special Courts:
- Patna: Gaurav Singh
- Lakhisarai: Seema Bhartiya
- Purnea: Thakur Aman Kumar
The Bihar Government has been requested to issue the necessary notification formally constituting the Fast Track Special Courts with the above-named officers as Presiding Officers.
Welcoming the decision, Ramakant Sharma, Chairman of the Bihar State Bar Council and Senior Advocate, praised the establishment of the Special Courts. He said that both the Central Government and the Government of Bihar are deeply concerned about safeguarding the future of students. According to him, the governments are committed to ensuring that those who jeopardise the future of young aspirants by engaging in examination paper leaks and other unfair practices receive stringent punishment under the law. He described the constitution of the Fast Track Special Courts as a significant step towards preserving the sanctity of public examinations and deterring organised examination fraud.
Meanwhile, senior advocates from Katihar highlighted a separate concern relating to the functioning of the civil judiciary in the district. They pointed out that following the untimely demise of the late Civil Judge (Senior Division), Manish Kumar, the post of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Katihar, has remained vacant. According to the advocates, neither has a new judicial officer been appointed nor has the charge of the court been entrusted to any other officer, resulting in delays in the disposal of civil cases.
The local Bar has urged the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Patna High Court to take immediate steps to fill the vacant post or assign its charge to a competent judicial officer so that civil proceedings in Katihar may resume without further delay and litigants are not adversely affected by the prolonged vacancy.
The establishment of the three Fast Track Special Courts, coupled with the demand for filling judicial vacancies, reflects the continuing focus on strengthening Bihar’s judicial infrastructure, ensuring speedy justice, and maintaining public confidence in both the criminal and civil justice delivery systems.
