Delhi journalist fined Rs.1 lakh for frivolous petition

The Delhi High Court Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh on a senior journalist for filing a frivolous petition alleging that his late friend's daughter has been admitted to a rehabilitation centre by her sister despite being mentally sound.

S.P.K. Gupta, a former parliament correspondent and senior journalist, moved the high court filing a habeas corpus petition and sought directions to Hauz Khas police of the city to present before court Nilima Warerkar, 59, who was allegedly illegally admitted to a psychiatric centre.

A division bench of Justice Ravindra Bhatt and Justice Vipin Sanghi dismissed the plea of Gupta after the court commissioner, advocate Richa Kapoor, appointed by it filed a status report on the issue.

The report stated that Nilima has been given proper treatment and nothing wrong was found against her sister and brother, against whom Gupta levelled harassment allegations.

The bench taking note of the submission of Kapoor dismissed plea of Gupta and asked him to pay Rs.50,000 each to the sister and brother of Nilima for harassing them mentally and emotionally.

Earlier, Delhi Police filed a status report in the court stating that the woman was discharged from a hospital Sep 29, and submitted her medical records to the court.

Gupta claimed that Gulmohar Park resident Nilima - who is daughter of his deceased friend M.R. Warerkar - had confided to him that her elder sister Anjali had got control over her by administering psychiatric drugs.

Gupta said a few months ago, Nilima started calling him when Anjali was not around and shared her plight.

"However, since Sep 17, he could not contact Nilima despite ringing up Nilima's home several times. The very next day, Anjali told Gupta that her sister had been sent to a rehabilitation centre, as she had been 'behaving oddly'," the plea had said.