Any misadventure to abuse judicial time must be dealt with sternly, said the Supreme Court, while imposing an exemplary cost of Rs 25 lakh on a Rajasthan-based NGO and its chairman for casting “imaginary and scandalous accusations” on the judiciary.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar said the waste of judicial time of the apex court is a matter of serious concern.

It noted that the course of action adopted by NGO Suraz India Trust and chairman Rajiv Dahiya was not in consonance with law.

When he did not get the orders that he hoped for, he pointedly expressed anger towards all and sundry and took the grievance with disparaging remarks to the highest executive functionaries in this country, the bench said. 

He even wrote to the Chief Justice of India and the judges of the top court at their private residences, it said.

The court noted that the petitioner aired his grievance  even against the secretary general of the Supreme Court.

“Extremely important matters are taken up in the Supreme Court for consideration on a daily basis and they lag behind sometimes because individuals, who were not competent to assist this court, insist without due cause, to be granted a prolonged hearing...,” the bench said in its judgement released on June 22.

No more leniency

The court said it could have initiated sterner action against Dahiya, but it restrained itself from any strong-handed approach, just for once.

In future, such leniency may not come by. But this order should be considered as a warning, it added.