In another case of fining petitioner for wasting the court’s time, Madras High Court, on Tuesday, imposed Rs 5,000 on a petitioner, who sought the court to restrain the construction of public toilet near an irrigation canal.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition, filed by one Radhakrishnan from Udumalapettai in Tirupur district, came up for hearing before a bench consisting Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad.
According to the petitioner, if toilets were constructed near the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) canal in Deepalapatty in Udumalapettai, it could cause infectious diseases and affect the agricultural fields as well.
He also stated that the canal was the only source of drinking water for several villages in the area and that the 136-km channel will be polluted at the sixth kilometre, where the proposed toilet will be constructed.
According to reports, the bench observed that the PIL was obstructing the development of the area and that the proposed public toilet in that location would improve hygiene and ecology. The bench also questioned the petitioner’s claim that the toilet could pollute the irrigation canal that flows at least 25 metres away from the facility.
Stating that the petitioner was wasting the court’s time by filing unnecessary petitions, the bench imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 to the petitioner and disposed of the petition.
Recently, in a similar instance in July, the Madras High Court had slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on film financier Mukunchand Bothra, who filed a civil suit that directed actor Rajinikanth to “take action” against his relative, Kasthuri Raja, for having allegedly misused the actor’s name to borrow money.
In June, the Madras High Court imposed Rs 50,000 as costs on a petitioner, who sought a CBI probe into the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.