A PIL cannot be entertained purely on the basis of reports:HC

Giving signal that it will not entertain PILs filed without any basis, the Madras High Court declined to entertain a PIL filed on the basis of newspaper reports.
"No public interest litigation is maintainable on the basis of newspaper reports unless ground work is done by the PIL-petitioner approaching the court," the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.Sathyanarayanan, said while dismissing a PIL filed by one M.Swaminathan.
The petitioner had alleged medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had been charging capitation fees ranging from Rs.35 lakh to Rs 75 lakh for MBBS admissions.
"In view of the submissions made by Additional Government Pleader P.Sanjay Gandhi that Tamil Nadu government had already appointed a fee fixation committee to regulate fees in medical colleges which looks into any grievance which may arise on this behalf and as on today no grievance are pending before the committee, we refuse to entertain this PIL any further," the court said.

In the PIL, Swaminathan wanted the court to form a committee to determine admission and fee for MBBS courses, and monitor the refractive implementation with provisions to penalise errant institutions. He further alleged medical education has been commercialised because of the collection of capitation fees abnormally by medical colleges.