Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment as to whether the contempt proceedings should be initiated by it against Rajiv Dahiya, Managing Director of Rajasthan-based Non-Governmental Organisation, Suraz India Trust, for not complying with its order of depositing the exemplary cost of Rs 25 lakh on him and the NGO for casting "imaginary and scandalous accusations" on the judiciary.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, reserved its judgment on the appeal filed by Suraz India Trust, MD, Dahiya, seeking modification and exemption of the cost imposed on him and granted three days time to Dahiya to tender his unconditional apology.
"You apologise to run away. You haven't learned your lesson, even on the aggravated health conditions. You have denied yourself of the sympathetic view by the type of pleadings you have made, applications you filed," the Supreme Court observed.
The Apex Court had on May 1, 2017, had passed the order and imposed an exemplary fine of Rs 25 lakh on the NGO and on Dahiya of 25 lakh for casting "imaginary and scandalous accusations" on the judiciary and wasting the judicial time.
Dahiya, appearing in person, through the video conferencing, pleaded to the Apex Court that he wanted to submit an unconditional apology. He further said that he would like to file a mercy petition before the President.
To this, the Apex Court said that there is no provision for mercy plea before the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the recovery of cost matters.
Dahiya pleaded to the Apex Court that he has no resources to pay the fine imposed on him by the Apex Court. "Please consider my situation my lords," he told the Supreme Court with folded hands.
"You can do whatever you want, you have invited the situation yourself, if you want we can send you behind the bars," the Supreme Court Bench observed.
Earlier, the Court had issued a Bailable Warrant against the MD worth Rs 10,000/- for not presenting before the court even after several directions.
The Supreme Court warned him and observed, "you have only scandalized the court in your submissions, you feel you can get away with everything and we have to dispel this notion that you can get away with anything".
Justice Kaul observed that when a litigant did not succeed in his or her case, then all kinds of malicious allegations against the judges and judiciary is being levelled. This is incorrect to do such things. "Thereby we have to pitch in and do some action and take certain punitive measures against such kind of persons," Justice Kaul observed.
( With inputs from ANI )
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