Supreme Court directs Bihar to release Patna High Court judge’s pay

Taking a grim view of the non-payment of the salary of Patna High Court judge Rudra Praksah Mishra for months, the Supreme Court directed the Bihar Government on Monday to release the dues to him after opening a temporary General Provident Fund (GPF) account for him.

“No judge can be expected to work without salary,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoh Misra said. Justice Mishra, who got elevated to the Patna HC from the district judiciary on November 4, 2023, is not getting his salary from the date of his elevation as he does not have a GPF account, a condition precedent for the release of the salary of a HC judge.