PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 27 -- The Allahabad high court has directed the trial courts across Uttar Pradesh not to defer framing of charges in criminal trials merely because an accused has filed a revision petition or appeal against the order rejecting his discharge application.

The court said the trial courts are under a "statutory duty" to frame charges if a plea seeking discharge is rejected, unless a superior court has specifically stayed that order.

Justice Chawan Prakash passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by one Avanish Chandra Srivastava, a retired government employee, who is an accused in a 2004 cheating case. The petitioner had challenged an order of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM), Kaushambi, by which his application...