The Delhi High Court has dismissed with Rs 1 lakh costs public interest litigation by a lawyer seeking directions for the identification of persons “harassing” private liquor vendors in the national Capital and forcing them to close their shops.A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that the petition by lawyer Narinder Khanna was “nothing but a sheer abuse of the process of law” and he wanted a “roving inquiry” on the basis of “vague and absurd allegations” and directed that the costs be deposited by him towards the Army War Widows Fund.
“In the considered opinion of this Court, the present petition is nothing but a sheer abuse of the process of law, and therefore, the present petition is dismissed at the admission stage itself with costs of Rs.1,00,000 (Rupees One Lakh) to be paid to the Army War Widows Fund within a period of 30 days from today,” said the bench, also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad, in its order dated September 8.
“It is made clear that if the amount is not paid within 30 days from Monday ( September 12) , the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi District will recover the amount as arrears of land revenue and shall transfer the same to the Army War Widows Fund with intimation to the Registrar General of this Court,” the court clarified.