Even as the apex court regularly fines people for filing frivolous petitions, there is no end to such petitions when the courts are already overburdened with a larger number of current and pending cases. In one such case, the Supreme Court of India today slammed a youth for filing a petition on Covid-19 despite having on qualification the matter.
Suresh Shaw, who identified himself as an unemployed, had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to issue directions on medication and treatment of Covid-19. He had approached the apex court after the Calcutta High Court had dismissed his petition on the same matter. Shaw had filed the petition pleading that the court should direct what tests and medicines should be prescribed for Covid-19 patients.
The matter came before a bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and AS Bopanna today, and the bench said that it is a frivolous portioner. “It is a frivolous petition. You have come here after Calcutta High Court dismissed your case,” the bench told the petitioner, who was present during the hearing.
The court had also imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh for the petition, but when Shaw pleaded that he is unemployed with just Rs 1,000 in his bank account, the bench reduced the cost to Rs. 1000.
The hearing in the court went like this:
Bench: Are you a doctor?
Suresh Shaw: No. The petition is based on scientific papers.
Bench: You are not a doctor or medical student? What’s your knowledge of Covid? What is your qualification?
Shaw: I have Masters in commerce.
Bench: You want to prescribe covid medicines to whole world? A commerce student will teach medical professionals all over the world how to treat covid? How much cost should we impose for such frivolous plea. We’ll impose cost of 10 lakhs for this.
The petitioner then pleaded that he can’t pay Rs 10 lakh as he is unemployed.
The court responded that this is a frivolous plea filed who doesn’t have any knowledge about the subject. The court said, “petitioner wants us to direct what type of tests and treatment has to be conducted for treatment of covid. We’ll impose cost”. The bench then asked the petitioner how much cost should be imposed.
When the petitioner informed that he has only Rs 1000 in his bank account about, the bench imposed the same amount as cost and dismissed the petition.
