Tactics Of Filing Multiple Pleas For Same Cause Of Action Burdens System At The Cost Of Needy Litigants: Allahabad HC Imposes 20K Cost

Admonishing the litigants for their tactics to file multiple litigations on the same cause of action, the Allahabad High Court recently imposed a "deterrent cost" of Rs. 20K on a contract employee in UPSRTC who filed two 482 CrPC petitions on the same subject matter, claiming the same relief with two different sets of petitioners.When the applicant, one Pankaj Kumar apologized for. When the applicant, one Pankaj Kumar apologized for his indiscretion, the Bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal observed that if the apology would be accepted, then the damage already caused to the system will not be repaired The Court further opined that as a compensatory cost so also as a deterrent, a heavy cost was required to be imposed on such litigants, who indulge in the filing of multiple petitions. There is a growing tendency which is spreading its tentacles like anything because of poor systemic support in the High Court, either due to lack of up-gradation of the technology or because of human error, that such tactics on behalf of the litigant of filing multiple litigations originating from the same cause of action is growing in number, causing undue burden on the system at the cost of deserving and needy litigant," the Court noted.