Delhi HC slaps Rs 10 lakh cost on litigant for filing pleas to 'extort' money

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has expressed shock and imposed Rs 10 lakh cost on a man for filing pleas alleging illegal constructions in the capital with the aid of his lawyer and motive to extort money.

Justice Mini Pushkarna said it was dealing with cases of unauthorised constructions "strictly with an iron hand", but had to also ensure the process of the court was not misused by anyone to extort money from the persons involved in such constructions.

The court, therefore, pulled up petitioner Anil Lodhi, General Secretary of Azad Market RWA, who was found involved in cases of impersonation and extortion.

The court went on to refer to the Bar Council of Delhi, the name of advocate Babu Lal Gupta, who was involved with a purported NGO named Green Gold Earth of World, to consider his conduct and assess if there were any violations of the applicable rules and regulations in relation to the matter and take requisite action.

"This court also takes note of the submission made by counsel appearing for the private respondents that Anil Lodhi, General Secretary of Azad Market RWA, has been approaching their clients for the purpose of extorting money from them. These facts are alarming and shocking, which disclose the deplorable conduct of the petitioner in filing cases for extorting money from people, by misusing and abusing the process of this court," the court said in its August 7 order.

The order was directed to be tagged with all future petitions, which Lodhi or the NGO affiliated to him, could file in future.

The proceeding before a court, the order said, was a "solemn process" for furthering the cause of justice, and not for aiding unlawful objectives of certain individuals.

The court noted many of Lodhi's cases were filed through the same lawyer and the address given for the NGO in which Lodhi claimed to be a trustee, was of the lawyer's chamber allotted to Gupta.

The court was hearing the petitions filed by Azad Market RWA, through Lodhi, seeking directions to the authorities to take action against the illegal and unauthorised constructions in certain shops situated at Roshanara Road and Rani Jhansi Road, Jhandewalan, along with action against misuse of electricity and drinking water.

The court was informed that the MCD had already initiated requisite action against them.

The MCD was further directed to take action in a time bound manner in case of any illegality.

The order observed the alleged illegal construction was not in the vicinity of the petitioner's neighbourhood.

The petitioner was found to have filed similar pleas against illegal encroachment in the past, including through the NGO.

The court referred to a report of the Registrar of Societies and said the NGO was not registered.

The litigant was said to have misused the court process under the garb of social work with oblique motives and moving the court with "unclean hands". He was directed to deposit the fine amount within six weeks. PTI SKV SKV AMK AMK