SC junks Tejashwi's plea on Dy CM's bungalow swapping

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by RJD leader and leader of opposition of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, challenging the order to swap the bungalow in Patna, allotted to him earlier, with that of current deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, and imposed Rs 50,000 cost for wasting the court's time.

“What is this luxury of litigation? Precious judicial time is wasted,” a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi told senior advocate A M Singhvi, who continued to insist that there was a question of law involved in the matter.

The counsel, appearing for son of RJD chief Lalu Yadav, contended after the change in the Bihar government, a category for deputy chief minister was created, which was mala fide.

The court, however, remained unmoved and dismissed the special leave petition with the cost.

It also pointed out that Yadav had already lost in two courts.

The Patna High Court's division bench had on January 7 and single bench on October 6 had asked him to swap his bungalow with that of Modi, who became the deputy chief minister after change in the state government.

The Nitish Kumar government had asked Yadav to swap his 5, Deshratan Marg bungalow with that Modi's at 1, Polo Road in Patna, about one kilometre away.