New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday reduced to Rs 5,000 the cost of Rs 1 lakh imposed by it on a lawyer who had filed a public interest litigation seeking directions for identification of those “harassing” private liquor vendors in the city and forcing them to close their shops.
The order was passed by a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad on an application by petitioner Narinder Khanna for waiver of the cost.
In its judgement dated September 8, the court had held the petition was “nothing but a sheer abuse of the process of law” and that the petitioner wanted a “roving inquiry” based on “vague and absurd allegations”. It directed Khanna to deposit Rs 1 lakh as cost towards the Army War Widows Fund.
The petitioner said on Thursday he was tendering an apology, while claiming before the court he did not have a source of income and can voluntarily deposit Rs 5,000 as cost.
“Keeping in view the financial status of the petitioner and the fact that he volunteered to pay Rs 5 thousand, the order be modified accordingly,” the court stated.
Relying on statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the petitioner had contended in his PIL that central investigating agencies were harassing private liquor vendors, forcing closure of their shops, causing heavy losses to the state exchequer besides loss of livelihood to over 170 vendors.
The general public was deprived of the opportunity to purchase liquor at discounted price in terms of the applicable excise policy, he had argued.
The court, in its order, said personal scores, personal disputes and political rivalries should not be resolved through a PIL, while noting that the petitioner “raised all kinds of wild allegations” on the basis of statements of third persons and newspaper clippings.
The court had added the petitioner did not name a single officer of the CBI or ED who harassed a liquor vendor and also did not give any details of such harassment.
While imposing the cost, the court had clarified that if the amount was not paid within 30 days from the date of the order, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi District, will recover the money as arrears of land revenue and shall transfer the same to the Army War Widows Fund.
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