Mumbai Beat

Advocate fined Rs 50,000 for PIL8217;

In a first of its kind, a division bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice S H Kapadia today fined an advocate Rs 50,000 on a public interest litigation PILregarding a builder. The court held that the PIL was motivated and a sheer abuse of the system. The bench also held that the fine was necessary so it could serve as an example.

Of the Rs 50,000 fine, Rs 25,000 is to be paid to the builder, while another Rs 25,000 to the court8217;s legal aid centre.

The advocate, A P Jain, had argued that Sheth builders had used extra FSI in a building at Malad. However, when the bench asked the petitioner where he lived, it was told that he lived at Malabar Hill. Counsel M B Rao, for the civic authorities, submitted that there was nothing illegal in the construction. At this, the bench held that the petitioner had no locus standi.