End of ML Sharma PILs? Supreme Court issues notice to Sharma on debarment from filing PILs

This has been on the cards for some time now. The Supreme Court has issued show cause notice to advocate ML Sharma, for filing frivolous public interest litigation petitions (PIL) and for making scandalous and irresponsible allegations against Members of Parliament (MPs). The Court proposes to bar Sharma from filing any more PILs if it is not satisfied with his response to the notice..Sharma, in his petition challenging the Constitutionality of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), has alleged that MPs are “criminals” and “corrupt”. The Constitution Bench presided by Justice Khehar, which is hearing the challenge to NJAC, decided to issue notice to Sharma today after going through his petition. Justice Khehar, who was particularly irked, remarked that,.“This is an insult to the Parliament and the country. If you are making such allegations against MPs, you have to make them a party to the case..This has been going on for sometime now. You think you can say anything against anyone. This is not a political platform. We decide questions of law. “.Sharma’s plea that he would only argue on law and that he had no intention to make this a political issue were brushed aside by the Bench..The Court has given him a week’s time to respond to the notice. Given the mood of the Bench today, there might be no more ML Sharma PILs in the Supreme Court henceforth..The Supreme Court had imposed costs of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 on ML Sharma last year – the first one in a PIL for quashing the sale of Air India hotels and the second in a Habeas Corpus petition on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Justice RM Lodha, who was then the Chief Justice, was presiding the Bench on both occasions. Sharma has, interestingly, moved an application in the Supreme Court to exempt him from costs in the second case since he claims to have no means to pay the money. The same is still pending before the Court.