Madras HC imposes Rs 1 lakh cost on litigant for abusing court process

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently imposed Rs 1 lakh cost on a litigant for abusing the court process by filing two petitions seeking similar relief by suppressing the facts about the dismissal of one of them.

A bench comprising Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete had imposed the cost on T Palaniammal of Dindigul, who filed a petition seeking cancellation of the appointment of a government school teacher based on ‘destitute widow’ certificate.

The judges found that her earlier petition seeking cancellation of the aforementioned ‘destitute widow’ certificate had been dismissed by the court last year by observing that she had moved the court more out of vengeance than out of any intention to do public service.