Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday said public interest litigation (PIL) petitions was not a cure for all ailments in the country. The court had limitations. Some PILs even wasted precious judicial time, he said.
The Chief Justice noted how there were 65-75 death penalty references pending before the court. “Every morning, these people wake up wondering when the court will hear them?” the Chief Justice expressed the uncertainty of prisoners on death row. The CJI said such cases are the priority for the court.
“I want my judges to focus on such cases rather than a PIL for some roving inquiry into the nexus between politicians and corporates on the basis of unsubstantiated documents,” Chief Justice Gogoi addressed advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).
The petition wanted the Supreme Court to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe an alleged nexus among politicians, bureaucrats, journalists with a prominent corporate house.
Mr. Bhushan said that he was aware of the priorities of the court, but his case also needed to be heard.
“You want us to order roving inquiry into the nexus on the basis of these documents. What is the worth of these documents? Someone said to someone you have to meet so and so. Do you want us to go into all this? You should go before the criminal court with your allegations,” Chief Justice Gogoi told Mr. Bhushan.
The court gave CPIL six weeks’ time to file “better particulars” to substantiate the claims made in the PIL.