"Contempt of Court Proceedings Initiated by Supreme Court Against PIL Petitioner Upendra Nath Dalai for Failure to Deposit ₹1 Lakh Costs
In a recent development, the Supreme Court has taken a stern stance by commencing contempt of court proceedings against Upendra Nath Dalai, the petitioner in a public interest litigation (PIL) case. Dalai had failed to comply with the Court's earlier directive to deposit ₹1 lakh in costs, a penalty imposed when his PIL sought to declare Satsang founder Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra as a parmatma. The order was issued by a bench comprised of Justices CT Ravikumar and PV Sanjay Kumar, who cited 'wilful disobedience' of the Court's previous instructions as the reason for their decision.
The controversy began when the Supreme Court was addressing a miscellaneous application (MA) stemming from a dismissed PIL petition. Justices Ravikumar and MR Shah had ruled against the initial PIL, asserting that India's secular nature precludes such prayers within the context of PILs. Consequently, they deemed the petitioner's plea as 'misconceived' and imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh as costs for its filing.
Attempting to mitigate the imposed amount, the petitioner approached the Court through the MA, seeking a reduction or waiver. However, the bench noted that the specified sum had not yet been submitted. This lack of compliance prompted the Court to take a serious step by launching contempt of court proceedings against Upendra Nath Dalai.
The Supreme Court's firm response underscores its commitment to upholding its directives and maintaining the integrity of the legal process. The outcome of this contempt case will likely set an important precedent regarding the adherence to court orders and the consequences for non-compliance in matters of public interest litigation."
Click Here to: Download/View Related File
TAGS: Supreme Court contempt of court proceedings PIL petitioner Upendra Nath Dalai ₹1 lakh costs Satsang founder Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra bench of Justices CT Ravikumar PV Sanjay Kumar wilful disobedience public interest litigation miscellaneous application MR Shah secular country misconceived plea penalty compliance legal process precedent.
