Supreme Court imposes Rs 100 fine, dismisses plea to not give preference to cases of influential lawyers

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 100 on lawyer Reepak Kansal and dismissed his petition seeking directions to the apex court's Secretary-General, Registrar, and officers to not give preference to cases filed by influential lawyers and petitioners.

The order was pronounced by the apex court over a phone call. The top court asked the petitioner that he being a member of the bar, should not make such allegation against the registry.

"We are imposing a minimum cost of Rs 100 on you," the apex court said in its judgment.

A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra had on June 19 reserved its order after hearing arguments from petitioner-advocate Reepak Kansal and other respective parties in the matter.

"Why you have raised this issue?" the bench had asked during the last hearing, to which, Kansal had replied, his writ petition seeking One Nation One Ration Card was not listed.

Kansal had said that many influential ad popular lawyers cases are listed, but his and other not influential lawyers' cases were not being listed.

"Why can't you (Kansal) be more responsible? They (court officials) are working day and night for you people. This has become a trend today. You should not have filed such a petition," the court observed and reserved its order for a later day.

Kansal had moved the apex court seeking directions to the court's Secretary-General, Registrar, and officers not to give preferential treatment to cases filed by influential lawyers and petitioners.