The Delhi High Court on Wednesday took strong exception to litigants using the public interest litigation (PIL) route to “ventilate private interest”.
Illegal construction
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar questioned how the petitioner of one such PIL, Vikas Bakshi, who lives at Panchsheel and has office at Kalkaji, came to about illegal construction at a building in village Mandi here. “If you [petitioner] were a public spirited person, your immediate concern should be your neighbours,” the Bench remarked adding that, “this is a very serious matter”.
The court also objected to litigants using advocates to settle personal scores. “We will not let PIL be used to ventilate private interest…We will not allow counsel to be used as shield,” the Bench said.
“We are extremely saddened by what is happening…Where is the credibility of the Bar if you [the counsel] defend wrong actions…,” it remarked on advocates facilitating litigants to settle their personal scores.
It said this was the third time in the week when people with vested interest had used lawyers to advance their private interests. It directed Mr. Bakshi to reveal the source on whose instance he is targeting the property in village Mandi and posted the case for hearing on March 1.
