LI Network
Published on: 02 October, 2023 at 19:11 IST
The Supreme Court has levied a fine of ₹25,000 on a litigant who sought permission to file a 60-page synopsis challenging a mere 5-page order denying him anticipatory bail.
The bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal, in their order dated September 27, deemed such extensive pleadings unnecessary and refused the request.
The court directed the litigant to pay the fine as a charitable donation after initially considering imposing the costs on the advocate-on-record involved, a decision the court reconsidered due to the counsel’s submission that it could set a problematic precedent.
The litigant, Sandeep Kumar Garg, was appealing the denial of anticipatory bail by the Allahabad High Court in a forgery case. While granting interim anticipatory bail on medical grounds, the Supreme Court imposed the condition that the accused cooperate with the investigation. Furthermore, the Uttar Pradesh government was instructed to have the accused medically examined in a government hospital to assess his condition and fitness. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on November 6.
Notably, the same Supreme Court bench had previously emphasized the need to avoid filing bulky synopses.
In August, the judges had pointed out that court pleadings should not be excessively lengthy, especially when orders and documents from lower courts are concise. The court had stated that such extensive synopses should be avoided to streamline the legal process.
