New Delhi: Dismissing the revision petition of a man, a Delhi court reprimanded him for his mischievous approach in filing a frivolous plea and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.The court of Additional Sessions Judge Bhupinder Singh on Aug 18 stated that liberal access to justice should not be construed as a means of chaos and indiscipline.“A stern message is required to be sent to the litigants who indulge in frivolous and vexatious litigation, as such litigation not only clogs the arteries of the justice delivery system but also deprives genuine litigants of their fundamental right to a speedy trial,” the court said.The court was hearing a revision petition challenging the magistrate’s order of Aug 2024, refusing to stay the non-bailable warrant issued against the revisionist, Soumya Ranjan Kanungo, in a cheque bounce case.The court noted that the magistrate’s order did not affect Kanungo’s rights as the coercive process was initiated only to secure his presence in the complaint. It said, “Instead of submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the trial court, the revisionist has been trying to subvert the course of justice by filing the present revision petition.”The court stated that the order was purely interlocutory and the law barred revision of such orders. Besides, Kanungo’s case failed even on the merits.“The trial court has rightly observed that the revisionist has taken undue advantage of the liberty granted to him. NBWs have been consistently issued to ensure his presence, as in his absence, the trial could not move even an inch for more than five years,” said the judge.He said the imposition of costs was necessary to ensure that access to courts was available to citizens with genuine grievances and not to frivolous petitioners.The court pointed out that even in the present case, Kanungo took much liberty, and every time different counsel appeared on his behalf and sought adjournments for addressing the arguments.The judge said he was anguished and appalled by Kanungo’s insidious and cavalier approach in filing the present petition.
