The Delhi High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that called for an investigation into alleged discrepancies in accounts of a police lathicharge during a protest organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the capital.
In a hearing held on Wednesday, the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, criticized the petitioner, Nitin Naresh, for bringing the PIL forward. The judges noted that the mere presence of conflicting media reports does not justify turning the issue into a public interest litigation.
Chief Justice Upadhyaya expressed skepticism about the grounds of the PIL, questioning, “All sorts of matters are filed as PIL… Everything that catches your imagination after reading the newspaper, you will file a petition?” The court emphasized that the matter did not serve any public interest.
Nitin Naresh, who identified himself as a member of the media, argued before the court that he had previously submitted a representation to the Delhi Police, pointing out the contradictions between the police’s official statements and media reports. He sought a directive for the police to address his representation.
The court clarified that a petition can only proceed if there is a legitimate dispute between parties or a clear violation of someone’s rights. Chief Justice Upadhyaya stated, “Media reports conflicting with the police’s statement do not make something a subject matter of the PIL.”
More Read
In response to Naresh’s question regarding accountability, Chief Justice Upadhyaya remarked, “These high-sounding words, accountability, transparency, are not to be used in a vacuum like this. What is your petition? Delhi Police issued a statement, that statement is being contradicted by the media and you are asking us to get an inquiry conducted into it. Is there a duty on the Delhi Police to decide your representation?”
Ultimately, the Bench decided to dismiss the PIL, underscoring that the concerns raised did not warrant judicial intervention under the premise of public interest.
Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Nishant Gautam represented the Union of India and the Delhi Police during the proceedings.
