Allahabad High Court Orders Criminal Action Against Two Advocates for Filing Manipulated Land Acquisition Award, Seeks Cancellation of Licences

August 1, 2026 : The Allahabad High Court has ordered criminal and disciplinary proceedings against two advocates after finding that they deliberately filed a manipulated copy of a land acquisition award to secure higher compensation for their clients. The Court also directed that complaints be filed before the Bar Council of India and the State Bar Council seeking cancellation of their licences.

A Division Bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Kshitij Shailendra held that advocates Shiv Kant Mishra and Krishna Kant Mishra intentionally altered the contents of the award by inserting higher rates of interest that were not part of the original document. The Bench described the act as a deliberate attempt to mislead the Court and obtain an order through fraud.

The matter arose from a review petition filed by the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) challenging a 2024 High Court judgment that directed payment of interest at 9 per cent for the first year and 15 per cent thereafter on land acquisition compensation. According to the BDA, the original land acquisition award passed in 2016 merely stated that interest would be payable “as per rules.” However, the typed copy produced by the landowners before the Court inserted specific interest rates of 9 per cent and 15 per cent, which led to the grant of enhanced interest.

The discrepancy came to light after the BDA released the compensation amount during contempt proceedings and subsequently compared the typed copy with the original award.

Rejecting the advocates’ defence that the discrepancy resulted from a typographical error, the High Court held that the insertion of interest rates absent from the original award could not be treated as an inadvertent mistake. The Bench observed that the alteration was a calculated act intended to deceive the Court. It also declined to accept the advocates’ apology, noting that it was offered only after their misconduct had been exposed.

Making strong observations on professional ethics, the Court stated that litigants approach courts with faith in the legal system and trust their advocates to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity. It remarked that conduct of this nature undermines public confidence in both the legal profession and the administration of justice.

The Bench directed the Registrar General to initiate proceedings under Section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for prosecution under Section 199 of the Indian Penal Code for giving false evidence. It further ordered that complaints be lodged before the Bar Council of India and the State Bar Council recommending cancellation of the advocates’ licences.

Allowing the BDA’s review petition, the High Court recalled its 2024 judgment, holding that it had been obtained by fraud. The Court also directed the Bareilly Development Authority to recover the excess amount paid to the beneficiaries as arrears of land revenue.