LUCKNOW, Feb. 15 -- Justice Pankaj Bhatia of the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Friday recused himself from hearing bail matters, saying recent Supreme Court observations had a "huge demoralising and chilling effect" on him. The judge declined to hear a bail plea moved by Rakesh Tiwari, a murder accused, and urged the chief justice to withdraw the bail roster from him. The development follows a February 9 Supreme Court order in which it strongly criticised the high court for passing an "unreasoned" bail order (dated October 10, 2025) in a dowry death case without taking into account the factors to be considered in the bail application. The apex court had also observed that the high court granted bail to the husband of the deceased merely on the period of incarceration and absence of criminal history without recording reasons or considering relevant factors. The order was described by a Supreme Court bench as "one of the most shocking and disappointing." "Although it is well known that there is no judge who can claim that his order never has been set aside or interfered and I also feel from the perusal of the judgment that the order granting the bail was apparently subject to interference, however, the observations made in the judgment particularly in paras 4 and 29 have had a huge demoralising and chilling effect on me. In view thereof, I do not deem it appropriate to hear the present bail application," justice Bhatia said in his order. Manoj Kumar Singh...