SC slaps Rs 5 lac fine on NGO for frivolous plea against Medical College

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lac on an NGO for frivolous appeals without bonafides  against  the granting of land to a charitable foundation for setting up a medical college in Bhopal district.

A bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud dismissed a special leave petition filed by Parishram Samaj Evam Kalyan Samiti against a order of the Madhya Pradesh high court at Jhabalpur in July 2016, rejecting the PIL. The court is also reported to have slapped a fine of Rs 5 lac on the NGO for making a frivolous plea, reports Asian Age.

Mr. V Giri, senior counsel for the petitioner was informed by the CJI that the SLP was without bonafides.

"The land was allotted in 2008, there is a medical college and a 750-bed hospital set up in 2011 at a cost of Rs 130 crores. Government wants private parties to build hospitals as there is shortage of hospital beds. You file the present petition in the high court in 2012. We can't allow this. This SLP is bereft of bonafides. We dismiss the SLP with Rs 5 lakhs costs."

Calling the construction of the medical college  illegal and an environmental violation, Mr Giri argued that the land in question was a part and parcel of the lake and it was within the catchment area .

The SLP stated that this public interest litigation has been filed by the petitioner society against granting lease of land bearing khasra No.71, 73 and 76 situate at village Bhainsakhedi, district Bhopal on 30.08.2008 in favour of Chuirayu Charitable Foundation Society.

It said there were number of trees on the land planted by the Forest Department. Hence, the land was not eligible for allotment. The change of use of the land from agriculture to public semi public purpose under the provisions of the Act of 1973 is also illegal, the appellant said and prayed for quashing the High Court judgment and an interim stay of  its operation as reported to The Asianage.