The Delhi High Court has reduced the cost imposed on lawyer over the PIL filed in reference to the statement made by Manish Sisodiya, Deputy CM, Delhi alleging that the officers of Central Agencies like CBI and ED have been harassing the private liquor vendors and were forcing them to close their shops.
The order came after the counsel gave an unconditional apology before the Court for filing the PIL in such a way.
The Court reduced the Cost from Rs. 1 Lakh to Rs. 5000 and directed the counsel to take up pro-bono matters.
The plea had sought direction to the theCentral Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate for naming and identifying the officers who allegedly threatened 176 private liquor vendors and forced them to close their shops.
The Delhi High Court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a public-interest litigant for alleging that the CBI and the ED had harassed private liquor vendors in the national capital over the AAP government’s liquor policy.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the petition that was filed which relied on Deputy Chief Manish Sisodia’s statement, made on a TV channel, that the“central investigating agencies harass the private liquor vendors and they have been forced to close their shops” as well as newspaper clippings.