Supreme Court imposes ₹50k costs on petitioners who challenged ban on 15-year-old petrol, 10-year-old diesel vehicles

The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed costs of ₹50,000 on two petitioners who moved the Court challenging the ban in Delhi on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years [Anurag Saxena and Anr. v. Union of India]..A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, AS Bopanna and BR Gavai said that the public interest litigation was frivolous and amounted to an abuse of process of law. While the Court had initially proposed to impose ₹8 lakh as costs, it subsequently decided to take a lenient view and reduced the same to ₹50,000. "We could have very well imposed the cost of rupees 8 lakhs while dismissing the petition, which we indicated at the beginning of the hearing. However, we do not propose to be harsh to an ill-advised parties in person who fortunately or unfortunately are lawyers We are therefore, inclined to take a lenient view of the matter. We dismiss the Special Leave Petition with costs which are quantified at ₹50,000," the order said. The PIL contended that the cap of 10 years and 15 years on vehicles in Delhi was discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution."Banning already existing vehicles will create more carbon footprints as manufacturing new cars and vehicles create more carbon footprints. That's why the 10 years and 15 years Rule is void. Why there is arbitrariness only for certain places? Why not everywhere?", the petitioner who appeared in-person submitted. .However, the bench at the outset warned the petitioner that the matter is already covered by the orders of National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court as well. The Supreme Court had in 2018 mandated the Transport Department of Delhi to ban diesel vehicles more than 10 years old and petrol vehicle more than 15 years from plying within Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR)."You have seen the order of the NGT and every other order and still you are filing this petition. Are you sure about this? We will impose heavy costs and pass comments which will also impact your career in the long term. Think about that," Justice Rao cautioned. The petitioner, however, proceeded with his arguments. After the arguments drew to a close, the Court dismissed the plea while imposing costs. Note: The story initially mentioned that ₹8 lakh was imposed as costs. The same has been corrected to reflect the correct figure of ₹50,000. .[Read Order]