NEW DELHI: On Thursday, the Delhi High Court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on a ‘serial litigant’ who had filed multiple petitions related to illegal construction in the national capital but failed to follow up on them.
This decision was made by Justice Mini Pushkarna while reviewing the fifth writ petition from the same litigant concerning illegal construction in the RK Puram area. The judge noted a pattern of filing without follow-through.
In an order dated December 2, the court stated, “It is evident that the petitioner is a serial litigant and has submitted a number of writ petitions regarding various properties in the area. However, these petitions are not pursued after submission.”
The court referenced previous rulings, emphasizing that the judicial process should not be abused for ‘ulterior motives.’
“The petitioner’s behavior—filing petitions with no intent to pursue—does not inspire confidence and strongly indicates that these filings serve self-serving and undesirable motives,” the judge remarked.
Additionally, the court highlighted the necessity for petitions to be filed in good faith and without hidden agendas for self-interest, stating, “Any petition filed for extraneous or self-serving purposes will not be entertained. The intentions behind the petitions appear insincere.” The court reiterated its stance: no party may misuse the judicial process for ulterior motives.
Representatives from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed the court that the litigant had put forth four writ petitions between April and May of this year.
Upon the request of the petitioner’s counsel to withdraw the petitions, the court levied a punitive cost of Rs 50,000, mandating payment within four weeks. Furthermore, it instructed the MCD to address the alleged unauthorized constructions, to which MCD counsel responded that they are currently investigating.
