The Supreme Court on Friday imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh on the State of Jharkhand for persistently filing frivolous appeals, marking a stern reprimand against wasteful legal practices by state governments. The bench, comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan, expressed frustration over the continued disregard for the court’s prior warnings against such actions.
During the session, Justice Gavai noted, “The practice of States filing frivolous petitions needs to stop. Despite our repeated warnings, the attitude of State governments does not change. We have been telling this for 6 months,” highlighting the judiciary’s growing impatience with unnecessary legal filings.
The penalty was levied in connection with a case involving the dismissal of a government employee in 2011, which was challenged in court. The employee was terminated following a departmental inquiry that accused him of indiscipline and failure to follow orders among other charges. However, the writ court found the inquiry report insufficient to substantiate the charges, leading to questions about the dismissal’s validity.
The case escalated to the High Court, which noted procedural flaws in the dismissal, including the fact that the departmental secretary, who issued the dismissal, also served as the appellate authority, effectively denying the employee a fair appeal process. Upholding the writ court’s decision, the High Court rejected the State’s appeal to reinstate the dismissal.
Undeterred, the State of Jharkhand escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, which not only dismissed the appeal but also criticized the State for its litigious behavior. The court directed that the imposed fine be contributed to the welfare funds of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA). Furthermore, it suggested that the State could recover the costs from the official responsible for initiating the litigation.
