Srinagar, May 1 -- The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has taken a stern view of "scandalous and wholly unsubstantiated" allegations by a group of senior citizens against the Presiding Officer of the Court of Sub-Judge Pattan and the Principal District Judge, Baramulla, and directed the petitioners to tender an unconditional apology.

The matter arose from a transfer petition filed by Assad Ullah Bhat and others, senior citizens, who had sought transfer of their civil case from the Court of Sub-Judge Pattan to another court of competent jurisdiction.

In their petition, the petitioners made sweeping allegations, claiming that the Presiding Officer of Sub-Judge Pattan was "directly under the influence" of the Principal District Ju...