Actress Juhi Chawla was fined by the Delhi High Court for wasting the courts time. The actress had filled a plea to stop testing of 5G in India. The court fined her Rs 20 Lakh for wasting it’s time said reports from Ani.
The Court said that it appeared that the suit was filed to garner publicity, noting how Chawla had circulated web link of the hearing on social media.
The Court, therefore, imposed costs of Rs. 20 lakh on Chawla and other plaintiffs for abusing the process of law.
“Plaintiffs abused process of law. Costs of Rs 20 lakh is imposed of plaintiffs: Court. It appears suit was for publicity. Juhi Chawla circulated link of the hearing on social media,” the Court said.
It also ruled that the plaint was defective and not maintainable.
“No case made out for leave to institute suit or to sue in representative capacity. Plaint is defective and not maintainable,” the Court held.
Further, the Court noted that Chawla did not comply with the mandate under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Importantly, the Court said that the plaint was not verified.
“Affidavit says only few para are true to their knowledge. There is no personal knowledge of averments. Plaint based on legal advise not maintainable,” the judgment said.
The judgment was pronounced by Justice JR Midha.
Chawla along with Veeresh Malik and Teena Vachani (plaintiffs) filed the suit before the High Court, arguing that until and unless 5G technology is certified safe till then it’s test should not be conducted.
Chawla and others had argued that it was an established fact that there “could be danger of imminent nature” due to 5G and as per RTI responses, no studies had been conducted on the same.
The Central government, however, contended that the suit was not maintainable in view of Sections 80 and 91 of the CPC.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the suit was frivolous and barred under Section 9 of the Code.
During the hearing that took place on Wednesday, the Court had said that the plaint was defective and had been filed for media publicity.
The Court had also opined that there several lapses in Chawla’s plaint in terms of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The hearing on Wednesday was also marred by unknown conduct by an unidentified visitor who sang songs of Juhi Chawla during the hearing.