Supreme Court is not a Police Station

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a petition against railway minister Lalu Prasad seeking an inquiry into the “ Lavish” wedding of his third daughter at a five star hotel here in April this year.

Expressing its anger over the frivolous petition, a Bench headed by justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice DK Jain not only dismissed the petition but also came down heavily on those filing such PILs.

The Supreme Court in not a police station for anyone to walk in with a complaint,” said the apex court.

The petition against Mr.Lalu Prasad, filed by Ashok Hotel Mazdoor Janata Union,alleged income-tax violations in the payments made for the April 30 wedding feast of his third daughter.

As per the PIL, the hotel was paid Rs.21 lakh in cash for hosting the wedding reception. The mandatory requirement of furnishing the PAN no of the depositor in the huge cash transaction was never met,alleged the petition.

Refusing to even hear petitioner's counsel as he tried to argue the case, the apex court directed him to approach the concerned police station with the complaint.

The railway minister's third daughter, Chanda, tied the knot with Indian airlines pilot Vikram Singh at a function attended by the country's top leaders including President APJ Abdul Kalam, prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.Politicians cutting across party lines and other VIPs figured in the guest list.

The weddings of Mr.Yadav's first two daughters, Misa and Rohini,had their share of controversy regarding the lavish expenditure and bandobast:while Misa'a wedding led to an inquiry by the income-tax department, the “unaccounted” expenditure on Rohini's wedding in 2002 led the then Opposition leader of Bihar ,Sushil kumar Modi, to demand a CBI probe.
Chanda's wedding,which came after RJD's defeat in Bihar assembly poll, was simpler in comparison.However, the Ashok Hotel Mazdoor Union still approached the courts alleging lavish expenditure on Chanda's nuptials.

jeevansathi News