New Delhi, Aug. 30: The Supreme Court today threatened to initiate departmental proceedings against five subordinate court judges in Uttar Pradesh if they did not vacate government bungalows in their unauthorised occupation.

A bench headed by Justice B.N. Agrawal also directed the Bihar government to file an affidavit giving details pertaining to eviction of occupants from 209 government flats and bungalows and the action taken to evict residents of another 41 government bungalows.

On finding judicial officers in the list of defaulters submitted by the Uttar Pradesh government, the court said: “It is a misfortune for the country that even in cases of judicial officers, (the) government has to initiate eviction proceedings like any other person. They are fighting cases like veteran litigants instead of gracefully vacating houses.’’

Taking serious note of the matter, the court issued showcause notices to the judicial officers through the registrar-general of the high court and posted the matter for hearing in November.

“What these judicial officers are doing is something unbecoming of a judge,” the court observed.

Expressing its anguish against the members of the judiciary for retaining the bungalows away from the place of their current posting, the bench asked “why they should not be suspended or dismissed for occupying the house”.

The list of defaulters submitted by the state government included six judicial officers, 85 politicians, 86 government officials and 71 others, including journalists, NGOs and social organisations.

The court took strong objection to the Uttar Pradesh government re-allotting and regularising the allotments which were illegal and asked under what rule and law it was done.