SC rejects CJAR's plea against Rs 25 lakh cost imposed on it
New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea which sought the recall of its order imposing cost of Rs 25 lakh on NGO CJAR while junking a plea for court-monitored SIT probe into the allegation of graft involving a retired judge of Orissa High Court.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra rejected the review petition filed by NGO Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) against the December 1, 2017 order, saying it did not find any merit in the plea.
The CJAR had filed a review petition urging the apex court to recall its order by which a cost Rs 25 lakh was imposed on the NGO while dismissing its plea.
Seeking the recall of the order, the review plea by CJAR has said that the judgement contained "several errors apparent on the face of the record leading to a grave miscarriage of justice".
It has said that the top court "gravely erred" in penalising the CJAR by imposing "such a huge cost of Rs 25 lakh without giving an opportunity of any hearing with regard to imposition of any cost", adding that it is settled law that no one could be penalised without affording an opportunity to the person to explain why such penalty should not be imposed on him.
In December, the top court while terming the plea by CJAR as "...wholly frivolous, a contemptuous, unwarranted, aim[ed] at scandalizing the highest judicial system of the country", had imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh and dismissed it.
CJAR's petition had attempted to make a point on judicial corruption citing arrest of a former high court judge in the Medical Council of India admission scam by the CBI, as wholly frivolous, contemptuous and unwarranted.
--IANS
gt/vd