The Orissa High Court imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 (Rupees Twenty Thousand) on the Petitioner and dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to opposite parties to take immediate and adequate steps in the form of raids, investigation, seizures, detention of quacks, suppliers, sellers and prescribers or test and analyse, ban and control the circulation of the said drug/hazardous substance.
The PIL has been filed by an organisation Disha.
In the course of hearing, when the Court made a query as to whether the petitioner has complied with the Orissa High Court Public Interest Litigation Rules, 2010 or not, counsel appearing for the petitioner failed to answer the same.
Therefore, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Dr. Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Justice Murahari Sri Raman was not inclined to entertain the petition, as the petitioner has not adhered to the Orissa High Court Public Interest Litigation Rules, 2010.
“Accordingly, the writ petition stands dismissed with cost of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees Twenty thousand), which shall be deposited in the Welfare Fund of Orissa High Court Bar Association within seven days hence, failing which the same shall be recovered by initiating the proceeding under the Orissa Public Demands Recovery Act, 1962”, the order read.