Top Court Fines RJD Lawmaker For Frivolous Petition. And Tells Him A Story

NEW DELHI: A lawmaker of Bihar's ruling alliance who wanted action against a magazine for an article published 23 years ago has been fined 10 lakh by the Supreme Court.

"You are a representative of the people. You can't be expected to misuse the jurisdiction of this court," Chief Justice of India JS Kehar observed, calling the legislator's petition filed after such a long gap as "frivolous".

Ravindra Singh, who is a member of Lalu Yadav's RJD, had approached the top court to seek an inquiry into the article published in a magazine, Niyachakra in 1994. The article, he said, made derogatory remarks against some castes.

The Chief Justice asked: "The article was written in 1994 and you have approached the court now?"

Singh replied that he read it in 2013 and first went to the Patna High Court, which dismissed his plea in December.

But the court wasn't convinced.

"The cause raised by the petitioner is unjustified and we fail to understand what prompted the petitioner to file a petition for an article written in 1994," Chief Justice Kehar said.

When the court imposed the 10 lakh fine, the petitioner promptly pleaded for a waiver.

The court wasn't inclined to change its mind. Chief Justice Kehar explained why.

The top judge narrated a story from the time he stayed in a hostel.

When a student was fined Rs 25 for violating the rules, he protested. Not because he wanted the fine to be waived. Instead, the student argued that he was from a rich family and wanted the fine to be raised. The entire courtroom burst out laughing.

"Like the student, you must say you will pay more!" the CJI quickly added.

Incidentally, the RJD legislator had declared movable assets of about 5.46 lakh - more than half of it in cash - in his election affidavit filed in 2015. He had also declared land valued at 85 lakh.