Supreme Court Slams Patna High Court Over Bail Order Tampering

• The Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure over the Patna High Court's negligence in a bail case, where a 'Rejected' order was changed to 'Allowed'.
• A bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and P.B. Varale noted a significant discrepancy in the High Court's records, highlighting the manipulation of a judicial order.
• The Supreme Court reiterated that once a judge signs an order, they become 'Functus Officio', meaning they lose the authority to administratively alter it.
• It emphasized that only typographical or clerical errors can be corrected through a formal application and open court hearing, not the main conclusion of an order.
• The Supreme Court has sought a detailed report from the Registrar General of the Patna High Court and summoned the relevant file to investigate the tampering.

Why It Matters: Supreme Court criticizes Patna High Court for altering a 'Rejected' bail order to 'Allowed', emphasizing judicial integrity.