Pandurang Vithal Kevne v. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited & Anr.
vidhipandit.com/case/sc-2024-12-2113-2122
ion despite delay. The High Court on 05.08.2015, dismissed the motion, reasoning that even if the delay is condoned, a second review petition would not be legally permissible.
1212. Unrelenting, the petitioner filed another Notice of Motion No. 369 of 2015, seeking to challenge the High Court’s order dated 31.03.2015, which had effectively closed the doors on his review petition. The High Court vide order dated 18.11.2015 dismissed this motion as well, holding that it was not maintainable.
1313. Once again, the petitioner filed Special Leave Petition (C) No. 4170 of 2016 before this Court, challenging aforesaid order of the High Court. This Court dismissed the SLP on 18.04.2016, declining to intervene in the matter.
1414. At every stage the petitioner failed. Initial findings of misconduct and the legitimacy of his dismissal confirmed. After exhausting his legal remedies, the petitioner filed complaints alleging corruption against the judges who decided his case to several authorities including Hon’ble the President of India on 13.02.2012, Hon’ble the Prime Minister of India on 18.12.2017 and 03.01.2018, and Hon’ble the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on 19.01.2021.
1515. The Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court responded to the petitioner’s letter on 23.02.2021, stating that “without a proper review petition, nothing can be done to reopen the issues decided.” The petitioner seized upon this administrative note as a green light to re-litigate his case. In March 2021, the petitioner, filed a Second Review Petition (No. 7558 of 2021) before the High Court along with an application for condonation of delay.4 The High Court, clearly
4 I.A. No. 2748 of 2021
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exasperated by the petitioner’s persistent and frivolous attempts to revive a long-settled matter, heard the Interim Application and decided the same vide the impugned order dated 11.06.2024. The High Court dismissed the application for condonation of delay, holding that it was absolutely baseless and not maintainable in law. It further emphasized the lack of merit in condoning the colossal and inordinate delay of 4088 days (11 years and two months) in reviewing an order dated 05.12.2009. While disposing of the Second Review Petition (No. 7558 of 2021), the High Court observed that: “7.…Therefore, instead of adding anything more, we only observe that, this Application is nothing but an unscrupulous idea and attempt to take disadvantage of the technical endorsement of the Hon’ble the Chief Justice. Secondly, as one can easily perceive, the sheer frustration on account of losing the litigation at every stage prompted the Applicant to file this Application coupled with the Review Petition. Thirdly, the Review Petition intended to be filed based on the relief in this Application itself, is wholly misconceived.”
1616. Despite the above order, the petitioner did not sit quiet. Challenging the aforesaid order of the High Court, the petitioner has filed the present Special Leave Petition before this Court.
1717. As discussed, the petitioner has jumped from one forum to another, both legal and administrative, agitating his grievance repeatedly, despite the same being well-settled through reasoned orders. The forum shopping exercise of the petitioner is summarized in the table hereinbelow:
Date Proceedings Decision
14.07.2000 Dismissal Order passed Competent Authority removed by respondent No. 1 the petitioner from service for misconduct due to frequent and prolonged absence from duty without prior permission or intimation.
– Statutory Appeal Appellate Authority dismissed the appeal filed by the petitioner, finding no merits therein.
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22.12.2006 CGIT-12 of 2004 before Passed an Award upholding CGIT, Mumbai the petitioner’s removal from service.
05.12.2009 W.P. (C) No. 2584 of 2007 Upheld the CGIT’s Award, before the High Court of removing the petitioner from Bombay service.
25.01.2010 R.P. No. 6 of 2010 before Dismissed the review petition the High Court finding no error on the face of the record.
30.07.2010 SLP (C) Nos. 19572- Dismissed both SLPs challenging 19573 of 2010 before orders dated 05.12.2009 and the Supreme Court 25.01.2010.
04.10.2012 Complaint to the Ministry The petitioner sought an inquiry of Law and Justice, against the Presiding Officer Government of India. of the CGIT, Mumbai, and the two High Court judges who had adjudicated his case.
31.03.2015 R.P. No. 6 of 2010 (Re- Dismissed the Review Petition listed) before the High once again stating that the Court dismissal of the petitioner’s SLPs had rendered the review petition infructuous.
05.08.2015 Notice of Motion No. 71 The petitioner sought permission of 2015 before the High to file another review petition. Court High Court dismissed the motion, reasoning that a Second Review Petition would not be legally permissible.
18.11.2015 Notice of Motion No. 369 The petitioner sought permission of 2015 before the High to challenge the order dated Court 31.03.2015. Dismissed this motion, stating that it was not maintainable.
18.04.2016 SLP (C) No. 4170 of 2016 Dismissed the SLP challenging before the Supreme Court o r d e r d a t e d 1 8 . 11 . 2 0 1 5 , declining to intervene in the matter.
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13.02.2012 Complaint to Office of Hon’ble the President of India The petitioner alleged corruption 18.12.2017 & Complaint to Hon’ble against the judges who had 03.01.2018 Prime Minister’s Office decided his case.
19.01.2021 Complaint to Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court
11.06.2024 Second R.P. No. 7558 of High Court dismissed the 2021 along with I.A. No. application for condonation of 2748 of 2021 before the delay and the Second Review High Court. Petition, holding that it was not maintainable in law. [Impugned Order]
1818. The petitioner’s repeated and frivolous litigation has wasted the court’s valuable time and resources. It is in interest of justice that genuine and timely claims are addressed efficiently, without being hindered by such unscrupulous litigation. We may refer here an observation given by this Court in Subrata Roy Sahara Vs Union of India5: “150. The Indian judicial system is grossly afflicted, with frivolous litigation. Ways and means need to be evolved, to deter litigants from their compulsive obsession, towards senseless and ill-considered claims. One needs to keep in mind, that in the process of litigation, there is an innocent sufferer on the other side, of every irresponsible and senseless claim. He suffers long drawn anxious periods of nervousness and restlessness, whilst the litigation is pending, without any fault on his part.”
1919. This Court in Dalip Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh and others6, has strongly condemned litigants who use the justice system for their benefit and thereby attempt to pollute the streams of justice. It was observed as under:
5 2014 INSC 367 : (2014) 8 SCC 470 6 2009 INSC 1277 : (2010) 2 SCC 114
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“1. In last 40 years, a new creed of litigants has cropped up. Those who belong to this creed do not have any respect for truth. They shamelessly resort to falsehood and unethical means for achieving their goals. In order to meet the challenge posed by this new creed of litigants, the courts have, from time to time, evolved new rules and it is now well established that a litigant, who attempts to pollute the stream of justice or who touches the pure fountain of justice with tainted hands, is not entitled to any relief, interim or final.”
2020. Time and again, this Court has raised deterrence against frivolous appeals and petitions by imposition of costs on the litigating parties. This court in the case of K.C. Tharakan Vs State Bank of India & Ors.7 held the following: “No legal system can have a scenario where a person keeps on raking up the issue again and again once it is resolved at highest level. This is complete wastage of judicial time. We, thus, dismiss this petition with costs, though we limit the amount of costs considering the petitioner is a dismissed person. The writ petition is dismissed with costs of Rs.10,000/- to be deposited with the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Welfare Fund to be utilized for the SCBA library.”
2121. In view of the above discussions, we find no merit in this Special Leave Petition, hence, the same is dismissed. As there is no merit in the petition, we don’t deem it appropriate to even condone the delay. Hence, the application for condonation of delay is also dismissed.
2222. Considering that precious time of this Court and the High Court was wasted by the petitioner, in our opinion the petitioner deserves to be burdened with heavy cost, to give clear message to the unscrupulous litigants like the petitioner for not daring to play with the Judicial System. Such type of
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