The Patna High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, alleging corruption and misappropriation of public funds within the Saharsa Municipal Corporation.
The petitioner sought an inquiry into the alleged irregularities, citing a letter from the Accountant General (Audit) Bihar and allegations made by the Mayor.
However, the court found that the petitioner had previously filed and withdrawn two similar PILs on the same grounds, making him a “meddlesome interloper.”
The Division Bench of Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Partha Sarthy noted that the petitioner’s actions constituted an abuse of the legal process.
The court rejected the petitioner’s request to withdraw the petition and instead imposed exemplary costs of Rs 15,000 payable to the Bihar State Legal Services Authority within two weeks. Failure to comply would result in recovery measures.
The judges emphasized that multiple proceedings on the same issue would not be tolerated and that the petitioner’s actions were not in good faith.
The PIL was dismissed with costs, and a copy of the judgment was transmitted to the Member Secretary, Bihar State Legal Services Authority.