Gujarat High Court Imposes Hefty Cost on PIL Petitioner for Wasting Judicial Time

The Gujarat High Court imposed a cost of Rs 7 lakh on a person for filing a PIL and seeking adjournments for seven years in a case challenging the allocation of mineral-rich land to a private company.

The Gujarat High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 7 lakh on a person for filing a public interest litigation (PIL) seven years ago and seeking adjournments ever since in a case challenging the allocation of mineral-rich land to a private company. The court observed that the petitioner was misusing the PIL for personal issues and not considering the public interest.

Cost Imposed for Misuse of Judicial Machinery

A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee initially imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on one Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, but later reduced it to Rs 7 lakh by counting Rs 1 lakh for each year he kept the PIL alive while seeking adjournments after filing the petition in 2017. Chief Justice Agarwal observed that when utilizing the judicial machinery, the petitioner was not just utilizing the time of the court, but also the energy of its staffers who would otherwise be placed for other important matters.

PIL Filed in 2017

The PIL was filed in 2017 seeking to set aside an order of the state government allotting mineral-rich land to a private company in December 2015. However, the petitioner failed to pursue it for all these years. The HC noted that an industry came up on the allotted land and it was no longer possible to restore its possession to the government, making the matter academic in nature.

Court's Observations

The court observed that the petitioner was not considering the public interest and had been using the PIL for personal motives. The bench noted that when filing a PIL, one has a responsibility and accountability, and it should not be used as a tool for personal issues.

Challenge to Land Allocation

Jadeja had challenged the allocation of mineral-rich land to a company, Rohit Surfection Pvt Ltd (RSPL), in Devbhoomi Dwarka district in 2015. The PIL raised the grievance that a government land was allocated without legally adhering to its policy of not allocating any mineral-rich land to a private corporate entity.

The Gujarat High Court's decision to impose a cost on the petitioner serves as a reminder that PILs should be used for genuine public interest matters and not for personal motives. Misusing the judicial machinery and wasting the court's time and resources can result in legal consequences.