Delhi HC imposes Rs 1L as costs on litigant for filing PIL to settle personal scores

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh on a litigant for filing a public interest litigation (PIL) against her relative to settle personal scores.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma rejected the PIL which sought removal of an 'illegal and unauthorized construction' and observed that the petitioner claimed on affidavit that she had no personal interest in the matter but suppressed the fact that the owner of the building was her cousin and there was a dispute between the families.

"It is unfortunate that the forum of PIL is being used to settle personal scores by suppressing the relationship between the parties," said the bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, in a recent order.

"The petitioner who is present in person has admitted the relationship with respondent No.5 in open Court and, therefore, as the petitioner was certainly an interested person, the Petition deserves to be dismissed with costs of Rs. 1,00,000/- to be paid to Army Battle Causalities Welfare Fund within 30 days from today," the court directed.

The court said a person who has not come with clean hands is not entitled to any relief and nothing prevented the petitioner from disclosing the relationship with owner.

The court also said the petitioner's conduct amounted to committing contempt but refrained from proceeding further as she was a woman and costs were imposed on her.

It nonetheless warned her to be careful in future and not file such frivolous petitions again by suppressing material facts.