VIJAYAWADA: Some people have been misusing the judicial process in the name of Public Interest Litigations (PILs), observed the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday. The court felt that some politicians and industrialists are behind those who are filing these PILs induced by money. The court also observed that this is happening not just in Andhra Pradesh but in all the States and there is a need to act tough against such petitions.
It also observed that there are some mediators, who are behind filing this kind of PILs and there is a need to send a strong message to them. The bench of Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice DVSS Somayajulu, heard PILs filed by petitioners G Sudhakar Reddy and two others against the setting up of biomedical waste management plant at Marripudi village in Rangampet mandal of East Godavari district earlier.
APPCB counsel Surender Reddy informed the court that a similar petition was filed before a single-judge bench and no orders were given on the petition. He said the petitioners did not mention the same in their PILs and this amounts to misleading the court. The matter was posted for hearing to September 6.
When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, the bench said there are some people behind the filing of the PILs. It felt that there are very few genuine PILs while majority of the PILs filed are intended to misuse the judicial process. It asked the counsels to spell out their stand on the amount of costs to be imposed on such petitioners.
Petitioners’ counsel KS Murthy said the petitioners are illiterates and do not have any intention to mislead the court. Murthy said the petitioners were not aware of the fact that the single-judge bench has not given its orders. He said those who file PILs just to misuse the judicial process should be imposed heavy costs, but prayed that the petitioners do not come under such people.
The bench said they had been waiting for such PILs to act against and they had come across such a PIL now. Maintaining that the said PILs fall under such category, the bench said they had decided to impose a cost of Rs 25 lakh and are ready with the Supreme Court judgements in such matters. Stating that it will impose costs on the PILs, the bench said it will decide the amount and issue orders later.