by His Lordship on 1st March, 2023, or at any point of time immediately thereafter, although we have noted from the report that the Disposal Log Report of 1st March, 2023 of His Lordship’s court duly recorded that the 7petition stood disposed of. In Vinod Kumar Singh v. Banaras Hindu University5, this Court held that when a judgment is pronounced in open court, parties act on the basis that it is the operative judgment and that signing is a mere formality; however, in exceptional circumstances, an order pronounced in open court can be amended or even altered before the same has been authenticated by the Judge by signing the order but such a course ought to be adopted judicially, sparingly and for adequate reasons and upon putting the parties to notice. Such is not the case here. We are inclined to the view that the learned Judge not having expressed that reasons for the dismissal would follow, His Lordship ceased to retain jurisdiction over the petition and foreclosed assignment of