November 28, 2017:

SC Bench said the Court proceedings were being abused in the name of public interest for cheap publicity and political gains.

While expressing its serious concern over rampant misuse of Public Interest Litigation, the Supreme Court  said it is high time to revisit the concept as it is seen that the court proceedings were being abused in the name of public interest for cheap publicity and political gains.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan got furious while hearing a petition seeking NIA/CBI probe into an incident of 2015 when a dais being prepared for the Prime Minister Modi to address the public had fallen in Raipur in Chhattisgarh.

The petitioner, termed to be Chhattisgarhi Samaj Party, is a registered political party and it had approached the Supreme Court after its similar plea was rejected by the HC which also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on them.

Unmindful of the adverse order of HC, the petitioner decided to move the apex court for independent probe and also made the Prime Minister’s Office a party in the PIL.

Petition sought to highlight that is evident that the dome in question, which was being erected after incurring a huge expenditure, was of low quality and corrupt and illegal means were adopted by the state government.

Also that the safety and security of the Prime Minister was involved the matter may be directed to be investigated, the petitioner said.

The court got furious and  enraged when the petitioner’s counsel started arguing the PIL on merit.

Bench noted that time has come when the court should revisit the concept of PIL. How can a political party decide to file petition two years after the incident.

As per Bench it is an utter abuse of PIL for getting political mileage as PIL is not meant for these things. Cost was imposed on the Party.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had earlier said the PIL jurisdiction is “meant for the poor”.

 

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Source - ptinews.com