Delhi HC to hear on Feb 3, DSLSA plea seeking payment of Rs 20 lakh cost, imposed on Juhi Chawla
Jan 21, 2022
New Delhi [India], January 21 : The Delhi High Court on Friday listed the matter for February 3, a plea moved by Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) seeking payment of cost from Actress turned Environmentalist Juhi Chawla and others.
The cost was imposed on them by Justice JR Midha (now retired) while dismissing a petition connected with the rollout of 5G technology.
On Friday, the bench of Justice C Harishankar deferred the matter for February 3, 2022, after the Lawyer appeared for Juhi Chawla said he didn't serve with the petition copy. Court also noted that the appeal in the matter is pending before the Division Bench of Delhi High Court.
The DSLSA has recently moved to the Delhi High Court sought payment of costs of Rs 20 lakh to them by Justice JR Midha in an order passed on dated June 4, 2021, while dismissing Chawla's civil suit against the roll-out of 5G technology in India.
Petitioner DSLSA seeks court direction to allow the present execution petition and pass order to attach the properties of the Judgment Debtors or order civil imprisonment for Judgment Debtors to execute the award/order dated 04.06.2021.
The Delhi High Court last month had said it will hear the Actor-environmentalist Juhi Chawla appeal challenging the single bench order which had dismissed a lawsuit filed against the setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country on January 25, 2022.
In her appeal, Juhi Chawla stated that the single bench order dismissing the suit is bad in law as a suit can only be dismissed once it has been allowed to be registered as a suit by the Court.
The actor further stated that the single bench imposed costs on her even after plaint had not been permitted by him to make sure into a 'suit', and acting without jurisdiction, contrary to the law. She also challenged the single judge's finding that the motion was preferred only to gain publicity, whose motive was inferred by the learned single judge merely from the fact that Plaintiff had circulated the video-conferencing link of the High Court on her social media accounts which had resulted in the repeated disruption of the Court proceedings held on June 4, 2021.
Single Bench of Justice JR Midha had dismissed the lawsuit filed by actress-environmentalist Juhi Chawla against the setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country. The bench of Justice JR Midha while passing the judgment had said that Plaintiffs (Juhi Chawla and the other two petitioners) abused the process of law and imposed costs of Rs 20 lakh on plaintiffs.
The court in its order said, "It appears that the suit was for publicity. Plaintiff Juhi Chawla circulated the link of the hearing on social media which created the disruption thrice. Delhi Police shall identify the persons and take action against those who created disruption." According to the petition, the plaintiffs sought direction from the "arrayed defendants" to certify that 5G technology is safe for humans and every type of living organism and to produce their studies regarding RF radiation in support. The spokesperson further said that if not already conducted, efficient research should also be conducted without the participation of private interests.
