By IANS
New Delhi : Taking a stern view of frivolous petitions being increasingly filed, the Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a plea against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for hosting a dinner for MPs to allegedly solicit votes before the presidential and vice presidential elections this July.
Justice V.B. Gupta said the petition was “politically-motivated” and imposed a cost of Rs.25,000 on the petitioner, Ravinder Kumar, a practising lawyer and member of a voluntary agency.
The petition sought a direction to the trial court, which refused to entertain the complaint filed against the prime minister along with some top political leaders of the country.
The judge said: “The petitioner has failed to prove locus in the case and it has been filed on the basis of hearsay. It is devoid of any merit. The petition is nothing but an abuse of process of law and it has to be discouraged.”
“No abuse of law was committed by the trial court and only the Supreme Court can inquire into the disputes arising in connection with the presidential and vice-presidential elections,” he added.
Kumar had sought prosecution of the prime minister and UPA chairperson for allegedly inducing voters for the presidential election by hosting a dinner party at a five-star hotel here.
Besides Gandhi and the prime minister, the complainant sought prosecution of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Prakash Karat, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan, the Delhi police commissioner, the deputy commissioner of police and the SHO of the Chanakyapuri police station.
A news report of the dinner party, which was hosted on the evening of July 17 at Hotel Ashok for allegedly garnering support for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) presidential candidate, was also annexed with the complaint.
Those who attended the dinner included Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Praful Patel and A Ramadoss, Kumar said.