कमला आणि ओर्स वि. एम.आर. मोहन कुमार (फौजदारी अपील क्रमांक 2368-2369/2019)- लग्नाचा कठोर पुरावा ही देखभालीचा दावा करण्यासाठी पूर्व-आवश्यकता नाही. CrPC च्या 125.
या प्रकरणात सुप्रीम कोर्टाने कायद्याच्या सेटल केलेल्या तत्त्वाचा पुनरुच्चार केला आहे की इतर वैवाहिक कार्यवाहीच्या विपरीत, CrPC च्या कलम 125 अंतर्गत भरणपोषणाच्या दाव्यामध्ये विवाहाचा कठोर पुरावा आवश्यक नाही आणि जेव्हा पक्ष पती-पत्नी म्हणून एकत्र राहतात तेव्हा एक अनुमान u/s. भारतीय पुरावा कायदा 1872 च्या 114, कलम 125 CrPC अंतर्गत देखभालीच्या दाव्यासाठी ते कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित जोडपे आहेत.
सुप्रीम कोर्टाने द्वारिका प्रसाद सत्पथी विरुद्ध विद्युत प्रवाह दीक्षित [(1999) 7 SCC 675] प्रकरणातील आपल्या निकालाचा संदर्भ देखील दिला, ज्यामध्ये असे मानले गेले की कलम 125 प्रक्रियेतील विवाहाच्या पुराव्याचे प्रमाण तितकेसे कठोर नाही. कलम 494 IPC अंतर्गत गुन्ह्यासाठी खटल्यात आवश्यक आहे. या प्रकरणात असेही नमूद केले आहे की कलम 125 अंतर्गत अर्ज पक्षांचे हक्क आणि दायित्वे निश्चित करत नाही कारण उपेक्षित पत्नींना भरणपोषण मिळवण्यासाठी सारांश उपाय प्रदान करण्याच्या उद्देशाने कलम लागू केले आहे.
या प्रकरणात सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने असेही टिपण्णी केली की, “पत्नी” या शब्दाचा व्यापक आणि विस्तारित अर्थ लावला पाहिजे, ज्यामध्ये पुरुष आणि स्त्री वाजवी दीर्घ कालावधीपासून पती-पत्नी म्हणून एकत्र राहत आहेत अशा प्रकरणांचा देखील समावेश केला पाहिजे. कलम 125 CrPC अंतर्गत देखभालीसाठी विवाहाचा कठोर पुरावा ही पूर्वअट नसावी, जेणेकरुन कलम 125 अंतर्गत देखभालीच्या फायदेशीर तरतुदीचा खरा आत्मा आणि सार पूर्ण करता येईल जो एक सामाजिक कायदा आहे आणि त्यानुसार त्याचा अर्थ लावला जाईल.
सविताबेन सोमाभाई भाटिया वि. गुजरात राज्य, [२००५ Cr.L.J. 2141 (SC)]- कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित नसलेल्या महिलांना पत्नी म्हणून संबोधले जाऊ शकत नाही आणि कलम 125 ची तरतूद तिच्याकडून पालनपोषणासाठी मागवता येणार नाही.
माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने या प्रकरणात असे निरीक्षण नोंदवले आहे की, 'विधिमंडळाने कलमाच्या कक्षेत समाविष्ट करणे आवश्यक मानले. 125 बेकायदेशीर मूल आहे परंतु कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित नसलेल्या स्त्रीच्या संदर्भात असे केले नाही. तथापि, त्या दुर्दैवी महिलेच्या दुरवस्थेची नोंद घेणे इष्ट आहे, जिने नकळत विवाहित पुरुषाशी विवाह केला, हे विधान सेक्शनमध्ये स्पष्टपणे दिसून येते. Cr PC च्या 125, 'पत्नी' या अभिव्यक्तीमध्ये कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित नसलेल्या स्त्रीचा समावेश करण्यासाठी कोणतीही कृत्रिम व्याख्या सादर करून त्याची व्याप्ती वाढवण्यास वाव नाही. ही कायद्याची अपुरीता असू शकते, जी केवळ विधिमंडळच पूर्ववत करू शकते. नवरा स्त्रीला बायकोप्रमाणे वागवत होता हे जरी खरे असले तरी ते खरोखरच अवास्तव आहे. पक्षाची वृत्ती नसून समर्पक असा विधिमंडळाचा हेतू आहे. सेकच्या तरतुदीला पराभूत करण्यासाठी एस्टोपल्सचे तत्त्व सेवेत दाबले जाऊ शकत नाही. Cr PC च्या 125.
बादशाह वि. उर्मिला बादशाह गोडसे आणि दुसरी, [(2014) 1 SCC 188]- दुसरी पत्नी पतीकडून भरणपोषणाचा दावा करण्यास पात्र आहे. 125 जर पहिल्या लग्नाचा उदरनिर्वाह पतीने लपविला असेल.
भारताच्या माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने असे नमूद केले आहे की, ‘जर पतीने पहिल्या लग्नाचा उदरनिर्वाह तिच्यापासून लपविला असेल तर दुसरी पत्नी कलम १२५ CrPC अंतर्गत भरणपोषणासाठी पात्र आहे.
जिथे पतीने दुसऱ्या पत्नीला त्याच्या आधीच्या लग्नाची वस्तुस्थिती न सांगून फसवणूक केली असेल, तेव्हा सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने असे नमूद केले आहे की अशा प्रकरणात पती आपल्या दुसऱ्या पत्नीला 125 CrPC अंतर्गत भरणपोषण नाकारू शकत नाही आणि तो करू शकत नाही. हिंदू विवाह कायदा, 1955 अन्वये रद्दबातल ठरलेला असा दुसरा विवाह, त्याच्या पहिल्या लग्नाच्या निर्वाहादरम्यान असा दुसरा विवाह करून, दुसरी पत्नी कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित नसल्यामुळे तिला भरणपोषणाचा अधिकार नाही, असा युक्तिवाद करून स्वतःच्या चुकीचा फायदा घेण्यास परवानगी द्यावी. पत्नी (i) यमुनाबाई अनंतराव आढाव वि. मध्ये नोंदवलेले सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाचे पूर्वीचे निकाल. अनंतराव शिवराम आढाव, (1988) 1 S.C.C. 530 आणि (ii) सविताबेन सोमाभाई भाटिया वि. गुजरात राज्य, (2005) 3 S.C.C. 636 पतीच्या उक्त वादाचे समर्थन करणे केवळ अशाच परिस्थितीत लागू होईल जेव्हा एखादी स्त्री एखाद्या पुरुषाशी तिच्या पहिल्या लग्नाच्या निर्वाहाची पूर्ण माहिती असलेल्या पुरुषाशी लग्न करते. अशाप्रकारे, पहिल्या निर्वाह विवाहाविषयी कोणतीही माहिती नसलेल्या दुसऱ्या पत्नीला भरणपोषणाचा दावा करण्याच्या हेतूने कायदेशीररित्या विवाहित पत्नी मानण्यात येईल.
इस इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर (EV Scooter) का नाम एवन ई प्लस (Evon E Plus) है। दुनिया के सबसे सस्ते इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर (Cheapest EV) की कीमत मात्र 25,000 रुपये है और आप इसे सिंगल चार्ज में 50KM तक चला सकते है।
फीचर्स और स्पेशफिकेशन : आपकी जानकारी के लिए बता दें कि दुनिया के सबसे सस्ते इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर (Cheapest Scooter) एवन ई प्लस में आपको 220 वाट की मोटर दी गई है। इसमें आपको 0.57kWh की बैटरी दी जाती है जो 8 घंटे में फुल चार्ज हो जाती है।
इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर की टॉप स्पीड 24KM/hr है और आप इसे सिंगल चार्ज में 50KM तक चला सकते है। इसके साथ ही इसे चलाने के लिए आपको ना तो ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस और ना ही किसी रजिस्ट्रेशन की जरूरत है। ट्रैफिक नियमों के अनुसार जिन व्हीकल की स्पीड 25 किलोमीटर से कम है, उन्हें लाइसेंस की जरूरत नहीं होती है।
दो अलग-अलग बूट स्पेस : इस इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर (EV Scooter) में आपको लंबी और सिंगल सीट मिलती है जिस पर आप आरामदायक सफर कर सकते हैं। इसमें सामान रखने के लिए डिग्गी और सामने की तरफ एक फ्लैट फुटरेस्ट मिलता है
पीछे की तरफ आपको एक बूट स्पेस दिया गया है जिसमें आप अपना जरूरी सामान रख सकते हैं। इसमें आप चाहे तो आसानी से हेलमेट को भी रख सकते है। इसकी खासियत है कि इसमें अगर आपकी बैटरी खत्म हो जाती है तो आप इसे पैडल से भी चला सकते हैं। इसलिए बैटरी खत्म होने के बाद आपको चिंता करने की कोई जरूरत नहीं है
केवल इतनी होगी EMI : केवल वैसे देखा जाए तो इस इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर को आप मात्र ₹25000 में खरीद सकते हैं। लेकिन अगर आप चाहे तो इस इंश्योरेंस पर भी खरीद सकते हैं जिसमें आपकी सस्ती EMI बन जाएगी। उदाहरण के लिए अगर आप इसका ₹5000 डाउन पेमेंट देते हैं तोआपको ₹20000 का लोन लेने की जरूरत है। इस तरह अगर आप 5 साल के लिए 8% ब्याज पर लोन लेते हैं तो आपको हर महीने ₹406 की EMI देनी होगी
मोबाइल से खुद नाप सकते हैं अपनी जमीन, अब नहीं पड़ेगी किसी की जरूरत,
How to measure land from mobile
: जमीन विवाद हमेशा से चरम पर रहा है। लोग जमीन नपवाने के लिए पटवारी यानी अमीन को बुलवाते हैं। कई बार पटवारी पर भी गंभीर आरोप लगा दिए जाते हैं। जी हां लेकिन अब इन सब की जरूरत नहीं पड़ेगी। इस इंटरनेट के जमाने में इंसान यदि चाहे तो अपने मोबाइल फोन से हर कुछ कर सकता है।
बस आपके पास जानकारी सटीक हो। जी आप यदि चाहे तो मोबाइल फोन से ही अपनी जमीन को नाप सकते हैं। जमीन नापने की प्रक्रिया भी काफी आसान है। बस आपको अपने मोबाइल फोन में प्ले स्टोर से ऐप डाउनलोड करना होगा। इसके बाद खेत पर जाकर आसानी से नाप सकेंगे। आइए आज हम इसके बारे में विस्तार से जानते हैं।
तो इसके लिए आपको सही ऐप (App) चुनना होगा। आप GPS Fields Area Measure या GPS Area Calculator ऐप डाउनलोड कर सकते हैं। जमीन मापने के लिए यह सबसे मशहूर ऐप माना जाता है। अब इस ऐप को ओपन करने के बाद आपके सामने एक पेज खुलेगा। इसके बाद आपको एक सर्च का ऑप्शन दिखेगा, उस पर क्लिक करें और जिस भी जगह को आप मापना चाहते हैं, उसे यहां सर्च करें।
आपको चित्र के अनुसार 1 नंबर वाले बटन पर क्लिक करना होगा। जैसे ही आप इस पर क्लिक करेंगे तो आपके सामने तीन विकल्प खुलेंगे, जिनमें से आपको विकल्प नंबर 2 पर क्लिक करना होगा। अब ऊपर दिए गए चित्र के अनुसार उस स्थान को धीरे से स्पर्श करें जहां आप मापना चाहते हैं। इसके बाद जमीन या खेत की माप सामने आ जाएगी, इसे आप ऊपर ब्लैक बॉक्स में आसानी से देख सकते हैं।
ऐसे देखें प्लॉट की डायरेक्शन ----
इसके लिए आपको प्ले स्टोर से कंपास ऐप डाउनलोड करना होगा। अब ऐप खोलें और मोबाइल को अपने प्लॉट के मैप पर रखें। मान लीजिए आपका प्लॉट 20 x 40 वर्ग फीट का है तो यह आपको मोबाइल में 205 डिग्री के आसपास दिखाएगा। अब आपको मोबाइल को तब तक घुमाना है जब तक वह शून्य (0) डिग्री तक न पहुंच जाए। जिस स्थान पर 0 शून्य डिग्री पड़ती है वही आपके मोबाइल की सही दिशा होगी।
Credit Line On UPI – बैंक अकाउंट में पैसे नहीं होने पर भी कर सकते है यूपीआई पेमेंट, यह सुविधा हो गई शुरू
देश में में यूनिफाइड पेमेंट इंटरफेस (UPI) एक बहुत प्रसिद्ध मोबाइल पेमेंट का तरीका बन गया है। इसमें नए नए फीचर्स बढ़ते जा रहे हैं। इसमें अब एक और नया फीचर्स जुड़ गया है जिसके माध्यम से अब आप अपने बैंक अकाउंट में पैसे नहीं होने पर भी आप UPI पेमेंट कर सकते हैं। यह सुविधा नेशनल पेमेंट कॉर्पोरेशन ऑफ इंडिया (NPCI) द्वारा ग्लोबल फिनटेक फेस्ट में घोषित की गई है और वर्तमान में कुछ चयनित बैंकों और UPI ऐप्स के साथ उपलब्ध है।
क्रेडिट लाइन ऑन यूपीआई (Credit Line On UPI)
भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक (RBI) ने बैंकों के द्वारा जारी की गई प्री-सैंक्शंड क्रेडिट लाइन्स (Pre-Sanctioned Credit Line) को यूपीआई सिस्टम में शामिल करने का ऐलान किया था। इसका मतलब है कि अब सेविंग्स अकाउंट, ओवरड्रॉफ्ट अकाउंट, प्रीपेड वॉलेट, और रूपए क्रेडिट कार्ड को यूपीआई सिस्टम में जोड़ा जा सकता है।
भारतात पत्रकारितेवर विकला गेलेला मीडिया म्हणून टीका केली जाते
. कारण भारतीय संविधानाने बोलण्याचे स्वातंत्र्य व इतर अधिकार म्हणून दिलेले आहेत. परंतु जेव्हा कार्यकारी शक्ती स्वतंत्र संस्थांवर नियंत्रण ठेवते, त्यास लोकशाही म्हणता येणार नाही. भारतात राजकीय दबाव नसलेले एक ही टीव्ही चॅनल नाही.
खऱ्या अर्थाने स्वतंत्र पत्रकारिता आणि सरकारवर टीका करण्याचे स्वातंत्र्य ही वृत्तपत्र स्वातंत्र्याची मुख्य तत्त्वे आहेत. माझ्या मते ही भावना जपणाऱ्या अनेक व्यक्ती व युुुट्युब चॅनल्स यापैकी काहींची यादी येथे आहे -
- In India journalism is criticized by number of people as sold media is given by Indian constitution as a right but when executive power takes control of independent bodies, it can not be called as democracy
There is no tv channel without political pressure in India.
#WorldPressFreedomDay
Truly Independent journalism and freedom to criticize Govt are core principles of press freedom. Here's a list of few of the many people who are keeping up this spirit in my opinion -
- Abhisar Sharma
- Ajit Anjum
- Arfa K. Sherwani (The Wire)
- Faye Dsouza
- Paurush Sharma
- Kumar Shyam
- Pratik Sinha (Alt News)
- Shambhu Kumar (National Dastak)
- Saurabh Dwivedi (Lallantop)
- Siddharth Vardarajan (TheWire)
- Ravish Kumar Official
- Vinod Dua (HW News)
- Awaz India
- 1. The Desh Bhakt with Akash Banerjee
2. Manisha Pande
3. Meghnad from newslaundry
4. atul chaurasia
Punya Prasun Bajpai
Rana Ayyub
Barkha Dutt
Sakshi Joshi
Kunal Kamra
Masrat zahra and Gowher Geelani
Rajdeep Sardesai,
Srinivasan jain,
Print, Scroll, Quint,
- अभिसार शर्मा
- अजित अंजुम
- अरफा के. शेरवानी (द वायर)
- फेय डिसूझा
- पौरुष शर्मा
- कुमार श्याम
- प्रतीक सिन्हा (Alt News)
- शंभू कुमार (राष्ट्रीय दस्तक)
- सौरभ द्विवेदी (लालनटॉप)
- सिद्धार्थ वरदराजन (दवायर)
- रवीश कुमार अधिकृत
- विनोद दुआ (HW न्यूज)
- आवाज इंडिया
- 1. आकाश बॅनर्जीसह देशभक्त
2. मनिषा पांडे
3. मेघनाद न्यूजलॉन्ड्री पासून
4. अतुल चौरसिया
पुण्य प्रसून बाजपेयी
राणा अय्युब
बरखा दत्त
साक्षी जोशी
कुणाल कामरा
मसरत झहरा आणि गौहर गिलानी
राजदीप सरदेसाई,
श्रीनिवासन जैन,
प्रिंट, स्क्रोल, क्विंट,
You can search their names on YouTube / Twitter to follow them. Make your family follow them instead of sold out news channels on TV.
7. What is the procedure for filing a PIL? 8. Conclusion
The chief instrument through which judicial activism has flourished in India is public interest litigation (PIL) or social action litigation (SAL). It refers to litigation undertaken to secure public interest and demonstrates the availability of justice to socially-disadvantaged parties and was introduced by Justice P. N. Bhagwati. It is a relaxation on the traditional rule of locus standi. Before 1980s[when?] the judiciary and the Supreme Court of India entertained litigation only from parties affected directly or indirectly by the defendant. It heard and decided cases only under its original and appellate jurisdictions.
Introduction -
Taj Mahal, the eternal symbol of love in India, has withstood the brutal force of the elements for centuries. But this magnificent monument was almost destroyed by pollution. That is, until a lawyer by the name of M.C. Mehta filed a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions from the Hon’ble Court to direct authorities to take steps to stop pollution.
Another example of a PIL is the Oleum Gas Leak Case that established the concept of “absolute liability” in Indian law.
A Public Interest Litigation also known as PIL is a form of litigation that is filed to safeguard or enforce public interest. Public Interest is the interest belonging to a particular class of the community affects their legal rights or liabilities. It may include pecuniary interest.
What is a PIL?
PIL has not been defined in any Indian statute. However, Courts have interpreted and defined PIL. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has, in the case of Janata Dal v. H.S.Chaudhary, [(AIR 1993 SC 892) (see here)], held that lexically, the expression ‘PIL’ means a legal action started in a court of law for the enforcement of public/general interest where the public or a particular class of the public some interest (including pecuniary interest) that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
PILs are considered to be the most effective as well as the most commonly used judicial tool to safeguard the environment due to their many advantages including but not limited to speedy results, nominal court fees, relaxed procedural rules and the wide variety of investigative techniques available to courts like special committees.
Who can file a PIL?
Any individual or organisation can file a PIL either in his/her/their own standing i.e. to protect or enforce a right owed to him/her/them by the government or on behalf of a section of society who is disadvantaged or oppressed and is not able to enforce their own rights.
The concept of “Locus Standi” has been relaxed in the case of PILs so as to enable the Hon’ble Court to look into grievances that are filed on behalf of those who are poor, illiterate, deprived or disabled and are unable to approach the courts themselves.
However, only a person acting in good faith and who has sufficient interest in the proceeding will have the locus standi to file a PIL. A person who approaches the Hon’ble Court for personal gain, private profit, political or any oblique consideration will not be entertained.
Suo moto cognizance may also be taken by the Court.
Where can a PIL be filed?
PILs are extensions of Writ Jurisdiction. Therefore, PILs may be filed either before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution or any High Court under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.
However, even a simple letter or a postcard addressed to the Chief Justice of India or the Chief Justice of a High Court may suffice. The court may then choose to take cognizance of the letter and convert it into a PIL as in the case of Rural Litigation & Entitlement Kendra, Dehradun vs. State of Uttar Pradesh [(AIR 1989 SC 594) (see here)], where the Hon’ble Court converted a letter raising the issue of unauthorised and illegal mining in Mussoorie Hills into a writ petition under Public Interest Litigation.
Laws governing PIL in India
Over the years, the courts in India have formulated various principles with respect to PILs:
Relaxed rule of locus standi- PILs can be filed by any person for the welfare of others who are disadvantaged and are thus unable to approach the courts themselves. Thus, the general rule of locus standi has been relaxed in cases of PILs to protect and safeguard the interests and rights of these disadvantaged people.
Relaxed procedural rules- Courts have treated even a letter or a telegram as a PIL as in the case of Rural Litigation & Entitlement Kendra, Dehradun vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (see here). Even the law regarding pleadings has been relaxed by the courts in cases of PILs.
Intervention by the courts– Courts has also highlighted the fact that Article 14 & 21 of the Constitution of India and the International Conventions on Human Rights provide for a fair and reasonable trial. Thus, Courts must intervene when injustice is done to many.
Question of maintainability- The Government may not be allowed to raise questions as to the maintainability of the PIL if the court is prime facie satisfied that there is a variation of any constitutional rights of a disadvantaged category of people.
Principle of Res Judicata- The principle of res judicata or any principles analogous to it would depend on the circumstances and facts of the case and the nature of the PIL.
Appointment of a Commission- In special circumstances, a court may appoint a Commission or other bodies to investigate. In the event that the Commission takes over a public institution, the Court may direct management of it.
PILs regarding constitutionality or validity of a statute or a statutory rule– Ordinarily, the High Court should not entertain such a petition by way of a PIL.
Complete Justice– Under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has the discretionary power to pass a decree or order as may be necessary to do complete justice. However, while high courts may pass orders to do complete justice, they do not have powers akin to those granted to the Hon’ble Supreme Court under Article 142.
Misuse of PILs– Courts are extremely cautious to ensure that PILs are not misused as the misuse of PILs would defeat the very purpose for which it was conceived i.e. to come to the rescue of the poor and the downtrodden. The courts have, time and again, reiterated this fact as in the case of Kushum Lata v. Union of India {[(2006) 6 SCC 180] (see here)}. However, courts have held that even if the petitioner had approached the court for his own private interest due to his personal grievances, the court may treat it necessary to inquire into the subject of the litigation and its state of affairs in furtherance of public interest.
Formulation of various concepts– In environmental law cases, the courts have formulated and evolved several concepts including the Polluter Pays Principle, the Precautionary Principle, the Public Trust Doctrine and Sustainable Development.
What are some essentials of drafting a PIL?
The following are some of the essential steps that should be followed when drafting a PIL:
Collection of information– The first step of drafting a PIL would be to collect all relevant information pertaining to the issue.
Collation of documents– All documents regarding the case including photographs if any, must be collated.
Court in which it is to be filed– The Petitioner must decide in which he/she/it wants to file the PIL, whether before the Hon’ble Supreme Court or the High Court of that State.
Form of the PIL– A PIL can be in the form of a Petition or even a letter or postcard. In the event that the PIL is to be filed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the letter/postcard must be addressed to the Chief Justice of India. In the event that the PIL is to be filed before a High Court, the letter/postcard must be addressed to the Chief Justice of that particular High Court.
Public Litigation Guidelines– When drafting a PIL, one must look at the Public Litigation Guidelines applicable for the particular court before which one intends to file the PIL. The same are usually available on the websites of the respective courts.
Details to clearly stated– The following details must be clearly stated:
Petitioner’s name, postal address, email address, phone number, occupation, annual income and PAN number.
Proof of identity of the Petitioner must be annexed.
Facts of the case.
Nature of the injury.
Any personal interest that he/she/it may have.
Details of any litigation involving the petitioner which could have a legal nexus with the issue involved in the PIL.
The class of persons for whose benefit the PIL is being filed and how they are incapable of accessing the courts themselves.
In the event that any representations have been made to any authorities regarding the issue, the details of the same.
Any person/body/institution that may be affected by the PIL must be joined as a party.
The Petitioner must also state that he/she/they are able to pay costs, if any, that may be imposed by the court.
Appearance in court- The Petitioner may either appoint an advocate or choose to appear in person.
What is the procedure for filing a PIL?
Details on the procedure of filing PILs in the Hon’ble Supreme Court and a High Court are summarized in the table below.
Supreme Court
High Court
Number of copies of the PIL to be filed
5
2
Service of copy upon Respondent(s) / Opposite Party(ies)
To be served in advance
To be served only when the Hon’ble Court issues notice regarding the same.
Court Fees to be affixed on the Petition
Rs.50/- per Respondent / Opposite Party
Rs.50/- per Respondent / Opposite Party
A PIL can be filed in the same way as a writ petition.
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) guidelines are available on the website of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India (see here). It states inter alia that certain letter-petitions that fall under certain categories alone will ordinarily be treated as PILs including petitions pertaining to environmental pollution, disturbance of ecological balance, drugs, food adulteration, maintenance of heritage and culture, antiques, forest and wildlife and other matters of public importance.
Conclusion
A PIL is an important judicial tool especially for the protection of the rights of those who are unable to approach the courts themselves. They are one of the most commonly used forms of litigation, especially in environmental cases. The courts have tried to make rules regarding PILs simpler so as to not discourage the filing of PILs in public interest and on behalf of the poor, disable or deprived classes of persons. However, there are several instances in which people have tried to further their own private interests under the guise of PILs. Thus, courts must continue to remain extremely cautious to ensure that PILs are not misused.
The concept of public interest litigation (PIL) is suited to the principles enshrined in Article 39A[a] of the Constitution of India to protect and deliver prompt social justice with the help of law. Before the 1980s, only the aggrieved party could approach the courts for justice. After the emergency era the high court reached out to the people and devised a means for any person of the public (or NGO) approaching the court to seeklegal remedyin cases where public interest is at stake. Bhagwati and JusticeV. R. Krishna Iyerwere among the first judges to admit PILs in court.[4]Filing a PIL is not as cumbersome as a usual legal case; there have been instances when letters and telegrams addressed to the court have been heard as PILs.[5]
The Supreme Court entertained a letter from two professors at the University of Delhi; it requested the enforcement of the constitutional right of inmates at a protective home in Agra who lived in inhuman and degrading conditions. In Miss Veena Sethi v. State of Bihar, 1982 (2) SCC 583 : 1982 SCC (Cri) 511 : AIR 1983 SC 339, the court treated a letter addressed to a judge of the court by the Free Legal Aid Committee in Hazaribagh, Bihar as a writ petition. In Citizens for Democracy through its President v. State of Assam and Others, 1995 KHC 486 : 1995 (2) KLT SN 74 : 1995 (3) SCC 743 : 1995 SCC (Cri) 600 : AIR 1996 SC 2193, the court entertained a letter from Shri Kuldip Nayar (a journalist, in his capacity as President of Citizens for Democracy) to a judge of the court alleging human rights violations of Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) detainees; it was treated as a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India.
FRIVOLOUS PIL NOT PERMITTED
In a September 2008 speech, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over the misuse of PILs: “Many would argue that like in so many things in public life, in PILs too we may have gone too far. Perhaps a corrective was required and we have had some balance restored in recent times”.[citation needed] In what may be a tool against frivolous PILs, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice (assisted by Bhagwati and Iyer) prepared a law regulating PILs.
The judgment said: “This court wants to make it clear that an action at law is not a game of chess. A litigant who approaches the court must come with clean hands. He cannot prevaricate and take inconsistent positions”. For example, a petition drafted by Amar Singh was vague, not in conformance with the rules of procedure, and contained inconsistencies; the court did not explore his primary grievance (infringement of privacy). A positive outcome of the case was the court's request that the government “frame certain statutory guidelines to prevent interception of telephone conversation on unauthorised requests”. In this case, Reliance Communications acted upon a forged request from police.
In Kalyaneshwari vs Union of India, the court cited the misuse of public-interest litigation in business conflicts. A writ petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court seeking the closure of asbestos units, stating that the material was harmful to humans. The high court dismissed the petition, stating that it was filed at the behest of rival industrial groups who wanted to promote their products as asbestos substitutes. A similar petition was then submitted to the Supreme Court. The plea was dismissed, and the plaintiff was assessed a fine of ₹100,000. The judgment read: “The petition lacks bona fide and in fact was instituted at the behest of a rival industrial group, which was interested in banning of [sic] the activity of mining and manufacturing of asbestos. A definite attempt was made by it to secure a ban on these activities with the ultimate intention of increasing the demand of cast and ductile iron products as they are some of the suitable substitute for asbestos. Thus it was litigation initiated with ulterior motive of causing industrial imbalance and financial loss to the industry of asbestos through the process of court”. The court stated that it was its duty in such circumstances to punish the petitioners under the Contempt of Courts Act; it must “ensure that such unscrupulous and undesirable public interest litigation be not instituted in courts of law so as to waste the valuable time of the courts as well as preserve the faith of the public in the justice delivery system”.
“By now it ought to be plain and obvious that this Court does not approve of an approach that would encourage petitions filed for achieving oblique motives on the basis of wild and reckless allegations made by individuals, i.e., busybodies', a bench of Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S. S. Nijjar observed in their judgment. The bench overturned an April 2010 Andhra Pradesh High Court decision which set aside the services of a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer employed by the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The high court’s decision concerned a public-interest petition filed by S. Mangati Gopal Reddy, who alleged in court that the former IPS officer was involved in the loss of “300 gold dollars” from the temple and should not continue in office. The Supreme Court found that the high court decided against the accused with little information about Reddy himself.
Public interest litigation gives a wider description to the right to equality, life and personality, which is guaranteed under part III of the Constitution of India. It also functions as an effective instrument for changes in the society or social welfare. Through public interest litigation, any public or person can seek remedy on behalf of the oppressed class by introducing a PIL.[8]
A PIL may be filed against state government, central government, municipal authority. Also, private person may be included in PIL as ‘Respondent’, after concerned of state authority. i.e. a private factory in Mumbai which is causing pollution then public interest litigation can be filed against government of Mumbai, state pollution central board including that private factory of Mumbai.[8]
Filing a PIL under article 32, 226 Constitution of India or section 133 Cr. P. C.Edit
The court must be satisfied that the Writ petition fulfills some basic needs for PIL as the letter is addressed by the aggrieved person, public spirited individual and a social action group for the enforcement of legal or Constitutional rights to any person who are not able to approach the court for redress. Any citizen can file a public case by filing a petition:
Under Art 32 of the Indian Constitution, in the Supreme Court.
Under Art 226 of the Indian Constitution, in the High Court.
Under sec. 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code, in a magistrate's court.[8]
The case fought against sexual harassment in the workplace and was filed by Bhanwari Devi, who, after trying to stop the marriage of a one-year-old girl in rural Rajasthan, was raped by five men. She faced numerous problems when she (Devi) attempted to seek justice. Naina Kapoor decided to initiate a PIL to challenge sexual harassment at workplace in the Supreme Courts.
The judgement of the case recognized sexual harassment as a violation of the fundamental constitutional rights of Articles 14, 15, and 21. The guidelines also directed for sexual harassment prevention.[8]
M. C. Mehta v. Union of India
The court shut down numerous industries and allowed them to reopen only after controlled pollution disposal in the Ganga basin.[8]
