HC imposes Rs 1 lakh cost on litigant for forum shopping bid

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 9

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has imposed Rs 1 lakh exemplary cost on a litigant after holding that he attempted to indulge in forum shopping. The amount would be recoverable from the petitioner-litigant as arrears of land revenue.

The order by Justice Anil Kshetarpal came on a petition filed by Ram Dayal against the State of Haryana and other respondents. The petitioner had moved the court for directing the respondents to decide his claim and grant seven days to file reply in case an adverse order was passed.

The Bench was told that the petitioner was in possession of a house constructed on a 200 square-yard plot in Gurugram’s Nathupur village since time immemorial. The petitioner received a notice under the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, stating that he had encroached upon the Municipal Corporation land.

The state submitted that the petitioner had already filed two civil suits regarding the property in dispute against the Gurugram MC, but had failed to get interim protection.