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Gujarat High Court imposed a fine of Rs 1.4 crore on petitioners for filing PIL; Know details
Gujarat High Court: The Gujarat High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 1.4 crore on seven petitioners who filed a PIL. A fine of Rs 20 lakh has been imposed on each.
The Gujarat High Court has penalized seven petitioners who had moved a PIL with a total fine of Rs 1.4 crore. They had moved a PIL to cancel permission given to a builder for a project, without revealing their identity and background. The court called it a petition driven by "personal malice".
A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray rejected the writ petition with a fine of Rs 20,00000, which will be paid by each (seven) petitioners. The order posted on its website on Monday stated that the money will be handed over to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, which will use it for the welfare of orphan children.
During the hearing last Friday, the court orally said that there is no place in the court for such "dishonest petitions" in which the petitioners do not even disclose their identity. The court remarked, no one knows who these people are. What work they do, what business they have, nothing has been told. All of them are independent persons; hence, a fine of Rs 20 lakh has been imposed on each.
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The court further said that till the petitioners do not reveal their identity, there is no question of considering their complaint. No one can be allowed to file a PIL by merely giving the name. The court clarified, our rules and laws related to PIL also say that whoever brings a PIL, it is the responsibility of him to prove that he is a public interest person.
The lawyer on behalf of the respondent told that the petitioners are accused of extortion regarding the same property and a charge sheet has been filed against them. They are business rivals and are filing a petition by showing flaws in the construction work due to personal enmity.
The court said that the development permission has been given as per the rules and if the petitioner wanted, he could have filed a separate petition regarding his personal complaint. But calling it a public interest issue and highlighting personal wrongdoings is a violation of the decorum of PIL. The bench said, you want to highlight your personal grievances and ill-will under the guise of a public interest litigation. You cannot say that the petition is against the inaction of the authority, and cannot escape like this.
