Won't let PIL be used for cheap publicity, says SC

Says PIL cannot be used to bring down reputation of an individual

The Supreme Court Monday said that public interest litigation route could not be taken to target and bring down the reputation of any one person and for gaining cheap publicity.

The apex court bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said this while dismissing as withdrawn a PIL by advocate M.L. Sharma who sought probe in the allocation of land to United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's Skylight Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. by the Haryana government.

"You choose one person. On what basis? We will not allow you to destroy the name of a person by using PIL," said Justice Dattu.

Merely because they are related to politicians, you cannot call them sinners, the court told Sharma.

Permitting Sharma to withdraw the PIL, Justice Dattu said: "You have done a good job. Don't destroy it by your cheap publicity."