Punjab and Haryana High Court junks land grabbing allegations against judges, lawyers

The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) against four judicial officers and two lawyers for allegedly grabbing a public property in Haryana [Suresh Kumar v. State of Haryana and others]..Justice NS Shekhawat found the plea to be non-maintainable and said that the submissions made by the petitioner Suresh Kumar, a lawyer who appeared in person, were scandalous, baseless and contemptuous.The judge stressed that a serious note must be taken of this tendency to malign judicial officers.“The tendency of malign the reputation of the judicial officer by the disgruntled elements, who failed to secure an order which they desire is on the increase and it is high time that serious note is taken of the same. No litigant can be given the permission to browbeat the Court,” the Bench said..The Court called the allegations vague as the petitioner failed to mention the details of the property in question. “Still further, the petitioner has alleged that the respondents No. 5 to 8 had decided the cases of other private respondents in an expeditious manner. However, again the details are not forthcoming and vague and unfounded allegations were levelled against four judicial officers,” it further noted..In conclusion, the Bench said the petitioner was guilty of undermining the dignity of the Court and his action was motivated, deliberate and designed.However, it decided against initiating contempt of court proceedings against the petitioner and instead imposed costs of ₹25,000 on him.“This Court is not inclined to initiate contempt of Court proceedings against the present petitioner with the hope that the petitioner will conduct himself in future as a disciplined member of the legal fraternity and shall cause no embarrassment to anyone. He is still warned not to file such frivolous petitions before any Court of law and the present petition is ordered to be dismissed with costs of Rs. 25,000/-, which shall be deposited by him with the PGI Poor Patient Welfare Fund, Chandigarh,” it ordered..Advocate Suresh Kumar appeared in personDeputy Advocate General Rajinder Kumar Banku appeared for the State of Haryana. Advocate Jasdev Singh Mehndiratta appeared as amicus curiae..[Read Judgment]