New Delhi: Courts across the country are increasingly flooded with petitions which are insignificant or ludicrous. Even the Supreme Court is not spared.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud was left fuming when he had to deal with one such plea recently.
Surinder Kundra’s request to the top court was to give a direction for “digitally monitoring all MPs and MLAs.”
The CJI said he restrained himself from imposing cost on Kundra for such a petition.
Justice Chandrachud rejected the request and warned Kundra not to come to the Supreme Court with such a petition again.
“Should we put a microchip on the shoulders of MPs and MLAs?” an angry CJI asked the petitioner.
“How can any MP and MLA be digitally monitored? MPs and MLAs also have the right to privacy, how can we interfere in it? Such a petition should not be filed in future,” Justice Chandrachud told the petitioner.
The Chief Justice initially warned Kundra that the court would impose a cost of Rs 5 lakh for loss of public time. Kundra said he would explain his request in just 15 minutes.
He cited the Constitution to say that MPs and MLAs “behave as if they are rulers: after winning elections. He demanded that CCTVs be installed at their premises and every place they go, which should be monitored 24×7.
“This footage should be available on the mobile phones of all citizens,” Kundra said, before the CJI stopped him.
Justice Chandrachud then rejected the petition and told Kundra he restrained himself from imposing cost.
