The Supreme Court today warned the chairperson of an NGO that it will send him to jail if a fine of Rs 25 lakh, imposed on him for "wasting" judicial time by filing over five dozen PILs, was not deposited.
The top court took strong note of the fact that Rajiv Daiya, chairman of NGO Suraz India Trust, filed as many as 64 PILs, including a plea seeking contempt action against a former Chief Justice of India, over the years that were dismissed by the court.
It also rejected his plea for an amicus curiae (friend of the court), questioning its need when he had filed "so many cases" on his own.
"You have filed 64 cases. You did not stop. You have filed contempt petition against the Chief Justice of India and the Secretary General of the Supreme Court.
"We do not know why you are doing this all nonsense. You obey our order. Apology is alright, but you have to pay the cost. Otherwise, we will send you jail," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said.
Earlier, the apex court, on May one this year, had imposed costs of Rs 25 lakh on Daiya for wasting judicial time and had asked him to pay the fine within a month.
Today, Daiya said that he has petitioned the President also and pleaded with the court that he be provided with a lawyer or an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to help him in the hearing.
The bench rejected the plea saying that he has filed "so many cases" on his own and did not need any amicus curiae to help him.
"You (Daiya) tell us by when you are going to deposit the cost. If the Supreme Court orders are not going to be obeyed, then there is no point in having courts.
"If a simple person is not going to obey then what will happen. The states and the Centre may say that they will not obey the orders. The order has to be obeyed. We will send you to jail," the bench said and fixed the matter for hearing tomorrow.
It also asked Daiya to file the copy of the plea filed by him before the President of India.
Earlier, the apex court, while imposing the fine, had said that the "waste" of judicial time was a matter of serious concern and all such endeavours had to be dealt sternly to prevent misuse of the courts by such individuals "who have nothing to do but only cast scandalous and imaginary aspersions".
It had then refrained the NGO and its chairperson Daiya from filing any plea in public interest.
Referring to the details of the matters filed by the NGO and the various orders passed by the apex court, the bench had said it "leaves no doubt that Suraz India Trust has repeatedly misused the jurisdiction of this court".
"In 64 occasions, when Suraz India Trust approached this court as per the details indicated above, it did not have any success whatsoever. Not a single direction was passed on acceptance of any issue canvassed by Suraz India Trust," it had said.
The apex court, on March 27, had issued notice to the NGO for filing 64 petitions over the years under the garb of public interest litigation and Daiya to show cause as to why he should be allowed to continue filing cases.
It had handed over to him a compilation of the 64 pleas filed by him in the nature of writ petitions, review petitions to asked him to respond to the notice.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)